Rising Tides
by Aerilon452
Summary: The Druitt/Magnus family is divided, scattered through the world. But another force will rise to bring the family back together and test the resolve of the network.
1. Chapter 1

Summary: The Druitt/Magnus family is divided, scattered through the world. But another force will rise to bring the family back together and test the resolve of the network.

Disclaimer: I own nothing of sanctuary or the characters... except for Chase.

Rating: M

**RISING TIDES:**

**SACNTUARY:**

**2 MONTHS LATER**

Doctor Will Zimmerman dreaded heading into Magnus's office these days. All she did was sit at her desk as still as a statue or she stood by the window as still as statue. He knew the reasons for her inner turmoil; Druitt was gone, Ashley was gone, and Chase was gone. Along with Chase being gone was Henry and he was barely at the Sanctuary anymore. He was down in Jamaica with Chase. Occasionally the werewolf would come back and fix some sort of problem and then be right back down to the islands. Magnus acted like she didn't care. She went about business as usual in a haze. Most days she didn't pay attention and then there were some days that she pretended to care. His friend and boss was hurting deeply, but she wouldn't talk about it and Will was damned if he hadn't tried. Taking in a deep breath Will walked through the open office door and saw, where he expected her to be, Helen at her desk barely reading the paper work in front of her. This time Will decided that he would take a more aggressive approach to lure her out of the dark she had encased herself in.

Will took a deep breath and said, "Ok, Magnus it's time for you to get out of here," he placed both of his hands on her desk.

Magnus had a feeling that her protégé would try something like this. So, she gave him a look of utter indifference, "Will, I'm in no mood for you psychological attempts to pull me out of my doldrums. Please, leave me alone. This is the last time I'm ask nicely," Helen said and turned her back on him.

"You need to get out of this room. So what if John is gone, or if Ashley has isolated herself in South Africa, or if Chase is living up island life. You have a job to do here, maybe you should start doing it or…"

"Or what William, are you going to force me to step down?" Helen rose and leveled herself face to face with him.

"No, I was going to say go somewhere away from her yourself. It wouldn't kill you," Will muttered the last part as he stared her down.

Will shook his head and left her alone like she had asked. There was no talking to her like this, not when he was lost in her own mind and her own inner pain. He knew she was in pain and it was all because of Ashley, Chase and John Druitt. The same day Druitt had left her daughters had abandoned her. Now Helen was suffering and it was a miracle that the Sanctuary had suffered with her.

Helen waited until she was sure Will was far down the hall from her office before she turned to the top drawer of her desk and pulled out a picture. They had not meant to have the photograph taken but a local in Baja had decided to take their picture. In it Helen stood next to John with Ashley to her right and Chase to John's left. To the outside they looked like a happy family and for a while, down on the island, they believed it too. The smiles that had been captured were happy and full of warmth. Then reality came crashing back and now her family was torn asunder once more. Helen didn't even have the comfort of Ashley anymore. She put the picture back where it belonged and then turned to her computer to send and e-mail that she knew would be ignored.

So, once again Helen reclined in her desk chair to stare out her window and ponder how her life and her family could have taken a turn for the worse. She had gone half way down the rabbit hole in her mind when he friend walked in carrying a letter. Helen immediately recognized the paper as turn of the century Victorian style heavy white paper with a red wax seal. JM was molded into the wax in a stylized calligraphy. It was a style she had seen somewhere before but long memory was failing her. Helen took the letter her man servant offered and she thought he would leave, but he only walked around to stand in front of her desk to stare at her. "If you've come to talk me out of my office don't bother. William has tried and failed." Helen remarked and yet still he stood there.

"You seem sadder than usual."

"I can't imagine why, wait, yes I can." Helen snapped and then lowered her head. She hadn't meant to take her new found anger out on him. Her mood as of late made it impossible for anyone to be around her for any length of time because of her sarcasm and blatant anger. she knew how she was acting, but she couldn't seem to act any other way. Her children were gone and her lover had broken his word to stay with her. Helen remembered that she had told him that it was ok, but now it wasn't. She wanted him to be here with her and hold her at night. Now that she had gotten so used to it she hadn't figured out how she had managed to live without him. Then she remembered what had happened to him; John had lost his sanity and became a killer.

**JOHANESBURG:**

**SOUTH AFRICA**

Ashley walked the streets much in the same way as she had done everyday for two months. With all that had happened she had had no real chance to stop and examine her life for what it was. She, Ashley Magnus, was a hunter. Her main mission in life was to protect humans and hide the existence of the Abnormal world. But right now she contented herself with just being Ashley. After she had left she had contemplated going back for Jax and she had, but he had turned her away and told her to do what she had to do to heal her pain while he healed himself. Everyone was using that word lately; heal. It was like they were all sick and in need of some good meds to function again. When the truth was they were all damaged people who only made life worse for those around them. As much as she loved her mother, her sister, and as much as she was starting to love her father; Ashley was tired of causing pain to her family. Leaving may not have been the prudent thing, not the best, but it was something that had to be done. If she could have stayed she would of. Yeah, she knew it hurt her mother for her to be gone, but Ashley knew without a doubt that it was something she had to do. She needed time to think, to plan, and to learn to be herself again. Too long had she been a captive of the Cabal, then she was fighting them again. After that she met Jax and was tossed into another battle with an uncle she never knew existed; but he was dead now so what did that family tie matter?

Ashley had started to sit down in a café when she spotted someone watching her. She had seen his reflection in the glass but made sure she didn't tip him off that she knew he was watching her. It was nothing knew to be watched; it happened to her all the time. Ashley knew how she looked, the fare skin and the light blue eyes, she was beautiful but if she had the choice she would be in a pit somewhere battling it out the Abnormal of the day. But as it stood she was sitting in a café waiting for her coffee and being watched with more than casual interest. As the staring continued Ashley tried to ignore it or risk the police hauling her in on an aggravated assault charge. When she had had enough Ashley turned to tell the guy to stare at something else when the server appeared with her coffee and a sealed envelope that reminded her of her mother, only the wax seal bore the letters JM. She sat puzzled for a few minutes and then put it out of her mind for later. When she was out of the view of the normal people Ashley would jog back to her loft and read the letter from the mysterious man who had been staring at her. Her life was one mystery after the other and it would continue till the day she died; when she died. Ashley left the money for her coffee and a sizable tip before she teleported back to the Sanctuary and her home. Ashley had a feeling that this was the catalyst to bring her family back together.

**JAMAICA****:**

**CHASE COVE**

Chase stared out at the crystal clear blue water and, not for the first time, thought about home. For two months that was all Chase did; she did nothing but think and think and think and think. She wondered what her mother was doing, where her father was, and what Ashley was doing. Just like her father, Chase had decided to leave to heal a part of her soul she had had no idea was broken. That was a lie, Chase knew she was broken, they were all broken. The question was, was she broken beyond repair. When she had been at home she thought that her life had been finally whole. She had her parents and her sister. But now her father was MIA, Ashley was MIA and her mother was in a deep dark pit of pain at the loss of all three of them. The one good thing about her mother's obliviousness was that Chase could sneak in and out of the Sanctuary to see Henry. Unlike her sister Chase hadn't been able to stay away for long, but two weeks ago she had gone to see Henry and he had just come back with her.

Right now as she looked out at the water she could see her werewolf lover on a banana boat enjoying the sun. He waved to her and Chase returned the wave half heartedly, but Henry couldn't tell. She was good at hiding her pain; at least she thought she was. As she continued to watch Chase heard the foot steps of someone coming to the front door of her sprawling bungalow hideaway. Only a handful of people knew that someone lived in this cove and they were all trusted friends of her mothers. So, if someone was coming to see her then it must be important. Leaving Henry to the sun Chase hurried to the front door. But when she opened it there was no one there. 'How odd,' She thought, 'I could have sworn I heard foot steps.' Turning to go back inside that was when chase saw the envelope tacked to her front door by a dagger. The wax seal held the letter J and M. This was bound to turn out bad as it was sure to fling her family back together. Chase wasn't sure she was ready for that yet.

"Hey babe what'd you get?" Henry asked from behind Chase and made her jump about two feet in the air. He hadn't meant to scare her. Henry honestly thought she had heard him come up behind her. She always had better senses than he had even when he was in his wolf form.

Chase turned to Henry and smiled slightly, "Sorry, but someone sent me a mysterious letter. It looks like we'll be heading home shortly." She announced and walked back inside with Henry on her heals.

"How come you don't sound happier about that?" Henry shut the door and then leaned against it. He had come back here with Chase to try and coax her home. but so far two weeks later she hadn't budged and he had lost himself in island life. The surfing was choice and he wasn't expected to repair servers or monitor power glitches constantly. It was a nice vacation, and even better he was spending it with Chase, despite the fact that she seemed so sad all the time.

"I'm just worried about causing mom more pain." Chase gave words to her early thoughts. Maybe it was time to leave and never come back. She had done it before when she was fifteen; only that had been because her abnormal abilities were growing out of control and she feared hurting someone. But could she honestly disappear with a clean conscience? Chase doubted she could; she could only think about it and know that it was a good idea in theory, but in practice it wasn't so sound and it would cause more harm than good.

"It would cause Magnus more pain if you didn't come home." Henry moved away from the door and brought Chase into the circle of his arms. He knew that she suffered as much as Magnus, and probably as much as Ashley was suffering to.

"I know, so we go home." Chase whispered and without another thought she took them back to the only place where they would be truly safe from the world. As much as she loved island life Chase did want to go home; she was just too proud to admit it sometimes.

**ABNORMAL MONASTERY:**

**TIBETEN****MOUNTAINS**

John had been in the monastery for two months and he had come to the conclusion that monastery was not the right word for this place. This was more along the lines of a hide away for dangerous abnormals who had the conscience to take themselves out of society but not be studied as lab rats. And the sad thing was that was the only cosmic conclusion he had drawn from his time here. He felt no different from when he left his family then he did now; only right now he was bored. John had sat in quiet contemplation for about a week and all he did was count his breaths. Or he would mix it up and count the cracks in the stones in front of him. John was starting to wonder if this was such a good idea about a week after he had gotten here.

John scrubbed his hands over his face and then ran his finger through the cap of dark auburn hair that had begun to grow back almost upon his arrival. He would have kept shaving his head but every time he lifted the razor something stopped him and John was never sure what it was. Even back in Victorian London his hair hadn't been this long. So, here he sat with his tousled shoulder length hair wondering what to do next when Jeremy walked in.

"Are you finished for the day?"

"I haven't even started." Once again John ran his hands through his hair and mildly wished he had a hair tie. Instead all he had was a leather cord in which to wrangle his hair into some semblance of order while keeping it out of his face.

"Then perhaps you should leave?" Jeremy suggested. Day in and day out he had watched as his 'friend', for want of a better word, roamed the grounds in restlessness trying to find some semblance of peace. The others of this secluded hide away had all managed to find that peace and the will to control themselves, but John had just grown weary and his internal pain had not lessened.

"It's almost comical to know that I came here to heal when all I needed to do was learn to let Helen into my life more completely than I had." John would laugh if the knowledge wasn't so depressing. He had broken his word to stay until it was her will that he leave. But he thought it was in the best interest of their family. John made a frustrated sound and laid back down on the cool stone floor. He wanted to return to Helen's side with a fierce passion that he had to reign himself in these past two months. John was constantly reminding himself that he was doing this for her, for them. They needed a healthy relationship that didn't revolve around some sort of personal crisis.

"It is time you go home," Jeremy stood next to John.

"Of course, then the next time you see me, you'll be staring at my headstone." John shot back. The truth was he wasn't sure how Helen would react, though, he was sure that her throwing things would be in the mix or she might simply decide to shoot him. He wasn't sure if he just preferred to be shot. It might make things easier for Helen though, he wasn't sure what would and wouldn't be easier for his lover anymore.

Jeremy started to walk away and then remembered the reason he had come in search of the Ripper in the first place, "Here, this came for you," Jeremy tossed the wax sealed letter so that it landed on John's stretched out body. He didn't wait around to see the Ripper's reaction.

John watched Jeremy go before he reacted to the Victorian styled paper that now lay on his chest. At one time he had used the same style paper to taunt Scotland Yard and James with. Sitting up very slowly John took the paper between his left thumb and index finger. He flipped it over to see the red wax seal with the letter JM on it. It was a puzzle as to who he knew with the initial JM. Everyone from his former life was dead in the ground. That settled that he would have to return and face Helen, face Ashley, and face Chase. He wasted no time in returning to the Sanctuary.


	2. Chapter 2

Summary: The Druitt/Magnus family is divided, scattered through the world. But another force will rise to bring the family back together and test the resolve of the network.

Disclaimer: I own nothing of sanctuary or the characters... except for Chase.

Rating: M

**RISING TIDES:**

**SACNTUARY:**

**HELEN'S OFFICE**

Helen paced her office and thought back to the old days when she had been human. She tried to think of anyone she knew with the initials JM, but nothing was coming to her. Back and forth she paced and still she came to no conclusion as to who sent her the envelope. All of her acquaintances, save three, were all dead and gone from that era. So who could have sent the letter? Back and forth, back and forth Helen continued her pacing in front of her desk. This was not something she needed right now, not when she had family problems. 'Now you can like every other person in the world.' Helen thought bitterly. She had just started to take another stride was a familiar sound came from behind her. It could one of three people; John, Ashley, or Chase. Helen wasn't sure who she wanted to see more at the moment. Taking a deep breath Helen turned to see John, but not the tormented John of two months ago. He looked different, almost peaceful, but not content. It took her a moment to realize that he had his long brown hair back, even though it was tied back away from his face. Still a few strands fell down and shadowed his eyes. If he was phantom, a creation of her mind, then she was going to take the time to stare. John still wore his habitual black, but it was in the form of a black tank top that was tucked into black jeans. He wore boots as well seemed to melt into the jeans until she could tell where leather started and fabric ended. For being away for two months it had done John some good.

John stood as still as a statue while he watched as Helen made up her mind on her course of action regarding him being in her Sanctuary again. Running though his head was a litany of reasons the two months apart had been good for them. But thinking them up, John knew how absurd most of them were. As he continued to watch her he noted all the changes; there were none, except to her eyes. John saw deep sadness in her eyes and it was a sadness he couldn't comprehend. Didn't she have Ashley and Chase to warm her heart and fill some of the void he had left there? But his line of thought was interrupted when he felt the biting sting of her palm against his cheek. The slap was so powerful that his head snapped to the side. His cheek stung and he tasted blood at the corner of his mouth. John straightened and out of the corner of his eyes saw her hand start to come towards his face again. Quickly he grabbed her wrist and said, "You only get one."

Helen bunched her hand into a fist but soon let her fingers uncurl as she stretched out her fingers to curl around a lock of John's hair, "I'm glad your back, really I am." Helen whispered and leaned foreword to kiss his cheek where she had slapped him. It hadn't been her intention to slap him, not at the moment, but when she came closer to him she just got so mad at him for leaving and not sending word that he was ok. Helen should be furious with John, but in the end she had told him to go and she knew it was what he thought he needed at the time. In truth she was being the smallest bit selfish in keeping her close. She had been trying to regain some of her past when she had been happy with John and lived for her work. She still loved for her work, but she also wanted John. Just like it had been, but it would never be exactly the same.

John smiled lightly and leaned into kiss her forehead. He wanted to tell her that he did this for them, did this so that they could have a chance, but now all his words flew right out of his mind. All that mattered was Helen and for the moment it looked as if she had forgiven him. Or maybe she was lulling him into a false sense of security so that she could hit him some more. Whatever she would do he would allow. John owed her that much. No matter his intentions he still managed to cause her some sort of pain and that burned his soul, forcing him to change or try to change.

"Mom, I need to talk to you…"

Helen pulled back and looked in the blue eyes of Ashley as she teleported in. Without much thought Helen moved away from John and wrapped her arms securely around her daughter. Now, if only Chase would show up then life would be back to a somewhat normal state. But Ashley was home and her family was somewhat complete.

Ashley hadn't thought her mother would be with someone in her office when she teleported in. And she was shocked to realize that it was her father. Ashley had only ever seen him with a bald head and dressed in long sleeves with a leather trench coat or a thigh length coat. Seeing him with long hair, a tank top and jeans just seemed wrong to her. She had no more time to ponder her father's change in appearance when her mother took her in a fierce hug. The rest of her words had been cut off by the familiarity of her mother and the warmth that enveloped her. It amazed her that she had stayed away for two months when being home was where her heart was and where she felt the most secure. Shaking her head Ashley shifted out of her moms grasp and said, "I have a problem." And without wanting them to come to some ridiculous conclusion Ashley held up the envelope she had received and saw the same one on her mother's desk.

"You're not the only one." Chase said from the open office door. There she leaned against the door jam with her arms crossed. Chase had made sure not to appear right in the center of her mother's office. Instead she teleported to Henry's lab and then walked the rest of the way. Right now she wasn't sure if she was just going to drop off the envelope and cute and run back to her secluded cove. So rather than fall back into the family routine she opted to stay as far away from them as possible while being in the same room. She decided to change her stance and hold up the envelope with the red wax seal about the same time her father did.

Chase had glanced at her father and was slightly shocked to see his change in appearance. Before the vampire blood she probably would have asked, 'What happened to you?' But now she just looked at him ad accepted the fact tat his time away from his family had allowed him to change and hopefully become a better man.

"John, did you receive the same envelope?" Helen asked and took her place leaning against the edge of her desk. Now was not the time to heal the fracture of the Magnus/Druitt family. Right now someone wanted them together again. Taking her letter in hand Helen looked at each one in turn and with a silent nod the four of them in concert broke the seal to their letters.

"Oh My God!" Chase exclaimed and dropped her envelope. Inside was a severed finger with a single diamond ring that she knew belonged to Dana Whitcomb. The finger smelled as if it had been in formaldehyde for a while being preserved. "Is this a joke?" Chase asked and looked at her sister as she backed away from the finger on the floor. If she wasn't who she was then she would vomit at the sight of the severed digit. The smell alone was revolting.

Ashley looked to her sister and then down at the bullet slug that dropped into her hand. She recognized it as the slug she used to kill Dana. Who ever sent this had to have been in the jungle with them, or had arrived shortly after the woman had been killed. Ashley fisted her hand and felt the cold press of metal as it bit into her hand. She looked to her mother. "This is not funny." Ashley shook her head and fought back memories she had tried so hard to forget. Killing Dana had been the hardest and the easiest thing she ever had to do, and with that knowledge it made her ill. The only life she had had to end had been that of dangerous abnormals and not that of a human, even though it was a human who deserved death. At the time it would have destroyed her sister to take Whitcomb's life. So, Ashley he had done it and in turn taken the brunt of the nightmares while her sister dealt with the horror of nearly giving into her animal nature.

Helen tipped the contents of her letter and found a piece of blood stained cloth that she knew belonged to the last woman John had murdered in White Chapel. It was from the last girl she had failed to save and that was one murder that still haunted her. Helen had stood there, her gun aimed, while John had slit her throat. If she could have killed john them she might have, or she would have dine things just as she had and he would have gotten away. "No, this is not funny." She agreed with Ashley. Helen put the cloth on her desk and slid it close to John who had moved close to her when they all broke the seal of the envelopes.

John was the last to open his, but he had a sick feeling he knew what it would be. And when the cold metal slid into his hands it was like a weight settling into his gut. It was a fragment from the bullet Helen had used to scar him. Anger, strong and hot, rose in his mind and his blood. Who ever was messing with them knew things that only happened in private. Even though the anger was riding him John calmly and coolly set the bullet fragment next to the piece of cloth. Without thinking about it he closed the distance between him and Helen. He took her hand and felt his anger recede. To John's surprise Helen didn't pull away, instead she tightened her hold on his hand but made no eye contact.

Helen wanted to be afraid, she wanted to get angry, but she found that hard while clutching John's hand so tightly. She knew that if she didn't loosen her grip that her nails, however short they may be, would be drawing his blood. And yet, he said not one word while her nails dug deeper and deeper into his flesh. Casting her gaze to the red cloth Helen shuddered again and she shuddered at the sight of the bullet. John had murdered that girl in front of her. But that John was a different man than the one standing next to her. The man standing next to her wouldn't have left two months ago to try and spare her pain, no if he had still been the Ripper he would have stayed and caused her as much pain as he was in. For that Helen was grateful he had gone.

Ashley clutched the bullet in her hand and thought back to that day in the jungle when she had killed the monster responsible for the pain her and her sister had gone through. The bullet that was in her hand was the same bullet she had used on Dana. She had told her parents that Whitcomb had rushed her with a knife and she had no choice but to fire, no choice but to end the woman's life. In reality she had killed Whitcomb in cold blood, killed her out of revenge and necessity. Ashley also thought of her fathers words to her. He had said she didn't kill not because she couldn't get away with it, but because she was afraid to. But that day she had proved her father wrong. She had killed, she had gotten away with it, and Whitcomb's death had haunted her every night since then.

Chase looked from Ashley, to her mother, and then to her father. Each of them had the same look of fear and anger that she knew was on her face. Chase's hand itched to rub at the only scar left on her body, the scar her now deceased uncle had left her with. It was almost the same as her father's. If she let it, she would be eaten alive by the knowledge that she could eventually turn out as deranged and psychotic as her father had been; she could very well be the Ripper reborn, if she let the animal rage consume her mind. She had nearly reached that a year and a half ago when she had taken Dana into the jungle and attempted to kill her. Chase had hunted her and fed on the fear in the air. It had fueled her and given her the rush she needed to finish the hunt, to kill. But in the end it had been Ashley to take the life of her prey, her enemy. And now someone was reminding her of the fate she had nearly allowed to swallow her whole

"Looks like we have a new enemy nipping at our heals," chase said and drew stares from her parents and sister.

"Yes, it would appear so, but they would have to be someone from before you time," Helen pointed out. Though, she knew it was pointless to say that. Anyone from her time, the Victorian era, would have to be before her daughter's time.

"Mom, anyone you know is before 'our' time," Ashley motioned between her and her sister.

"Yes but they would be dead now," John pointed out. He let go of Helen's hand and walked to Chase. The father in him screamed out to take her in his arms and shelter her from everything. She was his daughter and the most like him. For once his gave into his fatherly impulse. Taking Chase in his arms John breathed out and felt steady. Chase stiffened in his arms and then shuddered before she wrapped her arms around him in return. John had seen many sides of his daughter but he had never seen the cold desolation in her eyes when she was standing at the door. Looking to Ashley he opened his left arm and offered the one thing he could to her for right now.

Ashley looked at her father and sister as they hugged. She knew that chase wouldn't be able to say away from their father for too long. Chase and their father had a special bond after he had saved her from the Cabal. But when he opened his arm to her Ashley debated moving to her mother's side. And yet she took that first step towards him. This was what she wanted, his acceptance and his love. Ashley knew she had that now. Instead of going to her mother, she walked into her father's embrace. She wrapped one arm around him and then the other around her sister. Her world felt steady just by being with her father and her sister, only her mother had yet to join in. But Ashley had faith that she would come into the circle of comfort because it was something they all needed right now. Another enemy was coming up on them and taunting them right now. They never seemed to run out of enemies. And it made no sense. The sanctuary did the world a great service by caring for dangerous Abnormals and taking in those Abnormals who chose to live out of the human world and be somewhere safe. But then again there were people who hated someone for doing a good deed.

Chase hadn't wanted him to hug her because her icy resolve would thaw instantly. It was the bond they had. He had saved her from the Cabal and he had saved her form herself when she wanted to be consumed with self loathing. Being in his arms and surrounded by her sister was the most she felt at home than being in Jamaica and being with Henry. This was her home, her family, and the only she knew. It was the only life she wanted to know. All she wanted was her family and Henry. Things always seemed so much simpler when you leave it all for now. She knew now that this was her place in the world and now she wouldn't leave it. But time would tell on that choice.

Helen could do nothing but watch the three of them. This was her family and for right now they seemed to be unified. The only one not there was Helen and she so wanted to be there. Right now they were the only ones in her office and Helen could give into her want. She stepped away from her desk and to John's back where she leaned her forehead against his back while she wrapped her arms around him and their children. This is what it had been about once; their unification. And now here they stood once again as if things had not changed. But things did change and now there was a void between the four of them. Families were always at odds and this one would be no different, only time would tell if they became even closer of would the void destroy them for good. Helen just wanted things to be the way they used to be. Would she take John back into her bed? She had a feeling she would, mainly because she loved him and because she was so happy to have him home. For right now they had each other before the storm crashed over them.


	3. Chapter 3

Summary: The Druitt/Magnus family is divided, scattered through the world. But another force will rise to bring the family back together and test the resolve of the network.

Disclaimer: I own nothing of sanctuary or the characters... except for Chase.

Rating: M

**RISING TIDES:**

**SANCTUARY:**

**TWO HOURS LATER**

Rather than stay inside the family went out to the terrace to enjoy the cool spring day and think about who JM could actually be. No one that they had met together or separately could possibly be a JM. Chase sat on the wide stone railing with her legs crossed. Her mind raced in several different directions all at once. On one hand she was thinking about her house in Jamaica and whether or not she had turned off the lights and then on the other hand she was thinking about JM. She was trying to remember if she had ever met someone with the initials of JM. Ashley was leaning next to her and just as deeply in thought.

John and Helen sat together at the wrought iron table. All through their long lives they had met so many people and it was hard to remember every single name. One thing was for sure, who ever were watching them now was from the past, and this person was a threat to all of them. John went through all the names of anyone he had met and was still coming up with no name.

Helen resisted the urge to rest her head on John's shoulder while she thought back over her long life for a name that was a possible for JM. She had one suspect but it was completely foolish to think of it. As she knew John had probably already thought that this person was in someway a survivor of the Victorian Era. What Helen wouldn't give for just one day of peace and quiet, or one month, or one year? But then again if she had a year of nothing but peace and quiet she would be losing her mind pretty quickly.

"James Moriarty," Chase suggested even though she knew it to be a foolish suggestion.

"Chase, Professor Moriarty is a fictional character with no basis in reality." Helen said. But it was the only name she had come up with as well, and she was sure John and Ashley had thought along those lines as well.

"So was Sherlock Holmes and look who he was based on." Chase pointed out. James Watson had been the basis and the mold from which Sir Arthur Conan Doyle drew his inspiration for the classic Detective Sherlock Holmes.

Ashley chuckled and lightly knocked her head against Chase's shoulder. But Ashley had had the same thought when she first received the envelope. It made sense. Why couldn't another flesh and blood human provide the template for Holmes arch nemesis in Doyle's famous novels? Moriarty had been just as smart as Holmes but with less scruples. "Chase does have a point though mom. Holmes was based on James. Why couldn't there have been someone to provide a base for Moriarty?" Ashley chimed in.

Helen shook her head at Ashley and sighed, "Not you too."

"It does make sense, but…." John started but Helen interrupted him quickly.

"James Moriarty is a fictional character, nothing more."

"If you would, I was going to say we've," John motioned from him to Helen and continued while he looked at Ashley and Chase, "Found no evidence that Doyle based his criminal mastermind on a flesh and blood person." John finished his original thought. He put his hand under the table and squeezed Helen's thigh. She sighed and leaned her head back.

Again, why did she have to be so meddlesome? Helen thought and not for the first time harbored the tiniest bit of guilt at what she had done to herself and her friends. And there was partial guilt over what had happened to her children, at the experiments done to them. If she had just been… Helen shook her head again. There would be no normal for her, for John, for their children, and for who ever knew them. It just wasn't possible. Helen was who she was and there would be nothing to change that.

"Helen, a package has arrived for you."

All four people on the terrace turned to see the Big Guy walk out carrying a box, a big box that was probably not something anyone wanted, least of all Helen. Her man servant walked around until he could set the box down and then without another word he walked back into the Sanctuary. There was something wrong with him and Chase sensed. She also smelled blood, dried blood but it was still blood. "If that box has a severed head in it I am freaking out."

Helen snatched her hands back and said, "Why would you say something like that Chase?" She had just been about to open the box and see what it was. Helen had been in numerous autopsy rooms. She could dissect something or someone and it wouldn't faze her, but having a body part in a box mailed to her just crossed some sort of line in her mind that she didn't want to open the box.

"Because, it looks like the perfect box for a severed head."

"Since when are you squeamish over dismembered body parts?" John asked and raised an eyebrow at his younger daughter.

"Since someone left me a finger in an envelope." Chase responded and slid down from the railing. She started to pace and eyed the box, hoping that any minute it would burst into flames and turn to ash.

Ashley wanted to laugh, but it was no laughing matter. If there was a severed head in there, then there was no telling whose head it would be. Would it be from Ashley and Chase's past of from their parents. There was only one way to find out. Someone had to open the box and actually take a look. Her father wasn't moving, her sister was pacing, and her mother was looking at her. Without a moments hesitation Ashley slipped the top off and peered inside to see what the contents were. She almost wished Chase had been wrong. "Chase, you can freak out. It's a severed head." Ashley backed away and put the back of her hand to her mouth.

John squeezed Helen's knee again. Then he was up and over to Ashley in a flash. He put his hand on her shoulder and waited until she was ok. Who ever this was, was counting his breaths. For two months John had to reconcile the killer and the human he used to be. There was no definitive way for both parts of him to coexist, but for right now if he had to he would be the killer again, and again, and again if it meant protecting his family. "Who is it?" John whispered and Ashley shook her head.

"I…" She cleared her throat, "I don't know him."

John looked in the box and then looked to Helen. The man's head was not someone he knew, but maybe Helen would. He didn't want to but John tipped the box a little to show Helen the contents. She moved back out of the chair, but shook her head no; she didn't know him.

All that was left was Tari; she had yet to look in the box and confirm or deny knowing the deceased. John didn't want to do this but he had to. Moving away from Ashley he picked up the box and put it in front of Chase. At first she refused to look but then her natural curiosity got the best of her, it got the best of them all. John could see Chase fighting to keep from looking. She didn't want to, didn't need the new set of nightmares. But in the end she looked in the box. John saw what little color Chase had drain right out of her face and be replaced by a pale green. Even with all the evil he had done John would turn a little green at the sight of a severed head; even he was not that sadistic. "Chase do you know him?" John asked quietly, the mood dictated he be gentle.

Chase wanted to be sick, she wanted to fall to her knees and empty out what was left in her stomach. The head in the box was someone she knew very well; he had been her first lover and her first friend in London. Dawn St. John had been a cavalier, carefree soul and a man who would do anything for a thrill. He had seen her one rainy day on the streets wondering around and he stopped, stopped to talk to her, to help her, and to show her a good time. When Chase hadn't been with James learning to control her nature, she would be with Dawn on the football field, or in the park, or around Piccadilly Circus. Besides Henry, Dawn had been her love and her first. He would hold a special place in her heart, and now he was dead. Someone had killed him to send a message. The message was well received; they were being watched, and had been for a while.

She turned back to the box to look again. Even in death he was still beautiful in the fallen Greek God sort of way. He had perfectly tanned skin that never faded, rich blue eyes that looked as if they had been gifts from the very sky, full lips, a chiseled jaw, and the personality of a seducer. All had been a deadly combination when he saw fit to use it, and he had used such charms on her. "Yes, I know him. It's Dawn."

It was not John, or Helen who went to her. It was Ashley. She hugged her sister and knew what was happening within Chase's mind. She had seen it when Chase looked in the box; it was sadness, loss, and pain at knowing a lover was dead. There was a lot Chase never said, but it could be read in her eyes if only you knew what to look for. Chase shook with repressed emotion; Ashley knew that she would not cry, not now, not in front of their parents or in front of her. Ashley just ran her hand down the back of Chase's head and held her.

"What do we do now?" Chase asked stepping back from the comfort of her sister. It wasn't that she didn't want the comfort; it was that she didn't have time for it right now.

"We keep looking for evidence on who this person is." Helen said and stood up reaching her hands for the box. She would have to examine the head for forensic evidence. Maybe the killer something behind that Helen could use to find him. But she doubted it. If this person was as old as she and John, then they were in for trouble and for one more fight.

"Yeah, great, and how many more people have to die for knowing us?" Chase asked; her voice had gone dark, thick with anger and sadness.

"Hopefully no on," Helen responded. She was feeling her daughter's pain; it was a palatable as the air she was breathing.

"Hope can only get you so far, mother." Chase growled and then she was gone.

**LIBRARY:**

Ashley didn't stick around outside. She didn't want to, what she wanted was to see Jax. Two months ago she had told him that she would stay and help him adjust to life within the confines of four walls and she had broken her word by leaving, by running away when her family fell apart. But she had come back two weeks into her self imposed exile to ask him if he wanted to come with her to Johannesburg. Jax had said no and stayed in the Sanctuary. He had told her that she needed to sort things out before coming back to him, before she could be with him, just as he had things to sort out.

So now here she was inside the library where she had tracked him to. There was the slightest bit of anticipation. From where she stood she could see his profile. In two months his hair had grown out and now touched his shoulders in soft ringlets and his skin had not faded; he was still as tan as the day she had met him. And he knew she was watching him. Ashley knew it and yet she made no move to go to him, to announce her presence. She had no words in which to speak to him. She was content to watch him as the soft lights played through his mane of wild hair.

"I know you're watching me Ashley." Jax purred.

Ashley teleported to another part of the library as Jax was suddenly at her last hiding place. He was fast, but she was faster. She laughed when he looked around for her. Ashley was happy to be home, happy to be near her mother and happy to see Jax. Taking the time away had been good for her.

She was just about to teleport away when strong, warm arm ensnared her bringing her back against and equally warm chest. His breath whispered along her skin as he breathed out, "I caught you."

"Yes, you did." Ashley responded and turned in his warm embrace to smile at him. Now this was a homecoming.

**LONDON:**

Chase walked around Dawn's flat. It looked like he had just left for the day, for a walk on the street, or to take in a football match. It looked like any minute he would be back. Chase wanted to cry at the sight of his flat. The couch had his clothes draped over the back, his bed was messy, and his kitchen had dirty dishes in the sink. Typical Dawn, he never cleaned unless he knew he was going to have a woman in his bed. Chase walked to the large floor to ceiling window and looked out from Dawn's top floor flat. From there she could see Piccadilly Circus and all the hustle and bustle of normal people. Sometimes she envied them, envied the simplicity of their lives. Normal humans would never know the monsters that lurked in the dark.

Unbidden the tears fell as she mourned the loss of her friend. Dawn didn't deserve to die, not for knowing her. He was a good man, and a good friend who would do anything for someone who knew him. Dawn had protected her a few times when she had run from James and the lessons he was teaching her. Back then she didn't have the patience for the gifts Watson was giving her, the survival tools he was instilling in her. He had tried to teach her stealth and the way of being a thief. Later on she had taken the lessons to heart, had made the skills her own. But when she was fifteen she hadn't wanted to learn them; she had just wanted to be a teenager, a teen who was trapped in a world of monsters. Chase had tried to talk to Dawn about it and he had laughed and told her that those would be useful skills for anyone to have. He had a way of making her laugh about how stupid and childish she was being sometimes. Chase knew it and yet she still acted the same way, run to him to talk, and then he would laugh at her and send her on her way, sent her right back to James.

Then it was just after she turned eighteen that he hadn't sent her away. Instead Dusk had taken her to the football field where they played one on one until the rain started and even then they still played. Together they walked back to his flat, soaked to the bone, laughing and teasing the other. When Chase had stepped inside the atmosphere changed, became charged with tension and energy. His hands rested o her shoulders and she could feel the heat infusing her cold, wet skin. The lights were out; the flat was quiet with only the lightening and thunder. Chase had known what was going to happen, had wanted it, and was ready for it. Dawn's hands ran down from her shoulders to the buttons of her shirt. She felt his lips at her ear; his teeth grazing her skin. Chase's own hands reached behind her and her fingers dug into his jean clad hips…

Chase shook herself out of the memory and backed away from the window. This was not the time to remember a rainy day when nothing mattered except the heat from another warm body. No, Chase had come here for another reason. Hidden under the floor board of his closet were pictures of them, pictures Chase wanted to have back. There were pictures of her and Dawn at the park, her and Dawn on the roof of his flat, her and Dawn just lying around. Those were memories she wanted to have back. As she pried the floor boards up Chase felt pain and sorrow rip and claw at her heart. He had been her first friend outside of the abnormal community and now he was dead because he knew her, because he had loved her to some extent. That knowledge ate at her mind and made her more determined to find the man who killed him, who took her friend out of this life simply for knowing and caring about her.

**SANCTUARY:**

John watched Helen as she examined the severed head. He followed as much as his mind could remember from his days at Oxford when he studied to be a doctor, only he never followed through on that. John studied as he watched Helen take samples and studied the wound. He could tell that she was deep in thought and she would only stop to mutter something to herself. She had forgotten that he was even there.

"This isn't human flesh." Helen muttered and immediately became perplexed at what she was seeing. This man, thing, whatever he was, was not human.

"I beg your pardon," John stepped closer and looked at the severed head.

"This isn't human, and it doesn't look like an Abnormal. Maybe Chase's friend isn't really dead, only a hoax." Helen turned and found her face close to John's. He wasn't looking at her; he was looking at the fake severed head.

"What is it made of?" John asked.

"I won't know without more extensive testing." Helen replied.

"Isn't that real blood though?"

"Yes, maybe from her friend. And it's possible he's not dead."

"That should make Chase happy," John muttered and stepped away. As happy as he could sense Helen was to have him back, he could sense that she wasn't ready for him to crowd her space.

"I'm sure it will." Helen felt the tension, the unease. She was holding back seeing if he would up and leave her. John was trying to give her space to put her at rest.

"I'll leave you to do what you do best." John said and then he too was gone.

Helen closed her eyes and tried to keep her heart from beating out of her chest. As happy as she was to have him back, she was just waiting for the proverbial shoe to drop and he would leave her again. All she could think about was his look of pain, the look of desolation in his blue depths. She had wanted to try and take that pain from him, to heal him, but she didn't know how. These days Helen questioned herself, questioned her actions, and questioned her mission to help the Abnormals in the world. She shook her head and mentally berated herself for such stupid thoughts. Her mission was clear and she had a job to do.


	4. Chapter 4

Summary: The Druitt/Magnus family is divided, scattered through the world. But another force will rise to bring the family back together and test the resolve of the network.

Disclaimer: I own nothing of sanctuary or the characters... except for Chase.

Rating: M

**RISING TIDES:**

**LONDON:**

Chase was curled up on Dawn's bed with the pictures spread out before her. In it were happier times, laughs and smiles. She wanted to block out the fact that her friend was dead. He was dead and she couldn't get past that. How much pain and death could her family take, how much could she take? This family was a family of pain. No matter if they were together or apart, there was nothing but pain. Chase shouldn't have come back; she shouldn't have come home. If she hadn't come home then she never would have found out that Dawn was dead. She could go along thinking he was still alive and never know the difference. But this was pain. And her pain made no sense. Chase was supposed to be in love with Henry, and here she was mourning Dawn.

Chase should have known better than to linger here, linger in Dawn's apartment. He was dead and she wasn't doing him any good crying into his pillows and looking at old photo's of them. She had been such a child in these photos. It was amazing that she had been that young at all. Only her eyes told the true story, as it did with her mother, her sister, and her father. Chase got up and gathered the photos of her and Dawn back into the box. She wasn't about to leave them lying around. With one last look around Chase disappeared just as the flat door opened.

Dawn had sensed someone in his flat from out in the hall. He waited for the right moment to come in and surprise whoever had decided to try and rob him. Though, he couldn't understand why someone would want to in the first place, he was a slob and he knew it. But that didn't change the fact that someone was in there. Just as he opened the door someone disappeared. But the scent that lingered was something he never would have forgotten; Chase. She had been here just now and he had been too cautious to try and greet her. But why would she be here now. They hadn't seen each other in years. So what made her show up?

Dawn moved farther into the room and scented the air. He drew a deep breath and mentally catalogued all the scents. First and foremost was the scent of her pain and anguish. Moving to the window Dawn crouched and scented again. She had been crying, but why would she be doing that here? Without wasting time he went to his bedroom, packed a packed a bag, and headed out the door without a second thought. If anything he wanted to get the pictures back that that little tigress had taken from him.

**SANCTUARY:**

**HELEN'S BEDROOM**

John had come here to change back into the clothes he knew so well, clothes that defined him as a gentleman of society, a society that no longer existed. If anything he needed an excuse to come here and he needed to give Helen her space. John knew they could not pick up they could not pick up where they left off. Going into the bathroom John began to peel off the clothes of the world he had hidden in to don the clothes that he missed. He took a moment to study himself in the mirror. John still looked the same; more like he looked like the self he had been in 1888, minus the insanity. Taking a deep breath John set his fingers to the tie on his pants. They loosened and he stepped out of them so he could put on his tailored slacks. John was feeling more and more like his old self already. Peeling off the black shirt John replaced it with his charcoal grey dress shirt. He took his time buttoning each button.

On the countertop John spied a hair tie lying next to Helen's brush. With one hand he reached for the tie and with his other he released the leather cord that bound his hair at the nape of his neck. John quickly pulled his hair back and used the tie to reign in his hair. At least with the hair tie he wouldn't have to worry about his hair slipping free of the leather cord.

After John was dressed he looked himself over in the mirror. It was as if a part of him had come back from the dead, back from a faded photograph of a bygone era that would never be rekindled. Without looking John reached for the scissors and grabbed his pony tail. His intent had been to gut off his hair, cut it off and shatter the image of his old self. Just as he was about to cut John dropped the scissors and turned from the mirror with a growl rumbling from his chest. He couldn't do it; he couldn't turn back the hands of time and return to the monster he was with the monster's persona. Life had to move foreword and so did John Druitt. If he had let himself go, let himself look like this then he wasn't going to change. He tossed the scissors back on the counter and left. In the end he couldn't cut his own damn hair and that irked him. It was just hair; his hair. If nothing else it made him look like the man he had been before the madness took him and he lost Helen and their children. Back then he lost everything that was ever dear to him.

**THE LAB:**

Helen had done some more testing on the fake, almost human like head that had been sent to them. It was obvious that it was another message to Chase. Who ever was playing a game against them had been watching them for a while. And that was a scary thought in Helen's mind. She was deep in though when she heard the tell tale sound of a completed teleport. Turning she saw Chase. But it was not the angry Chase that had left. This Chase had been crying, had been mourning a friend who had died because he knew her. Helen set aside what she was doing and went to her daughter only to have her youngest step back and out of arms reach. She shook her head and tried to keep new tears from falling. Helen could see them gathering in Chase's eyes. "Chase, I…"

Chase shook her head again and tried to keep her entire body from shaking. She had never felt this sad before. Dawn had been a capable male, strong, fit and agile. He had been able to take care of himself in a fight. How could have someone bested him? Right now Chase wanted to cry, wanted to mourn more for her friend, but then she would get angry, and that anger would fuel her and carry her through until they found the person who had done this to them. Chase felt the cool concrete of the lab floor beneath her and wondered when she had sunk down to the floor. She still held the box of pictures in her arms. "Why do we cause so much pain?"

"Chase…" But Helen couldn't finish. She was wondering about the answer to that question as well. No matter what they did, how they helped the abnormals, people they knew just seemed to get hurt or killed from their involvement. Helen reached out and cupped Chase's cheek. "I don't know my darling, but the best we can do is find out who did this and stop them."

"It will never stop, will it?" Chase had to ask even though she knew the answer. No matter how many bad guys came at them there would always be more knocking at the gates wanting to destroy the work her mother was doing.

"All we can do is we have been doing; fighting to protect the abnormals from those who would hurt them."

"Yeah, and life will never be the same again." Chase said as she leaned more into her mother's hand.

Helen stood and signaled Chase to do the same thing. They couldn't sit on the floor all day not when there was work to do. "Why don't you go and take a nap."

"I would if I could sleep, but since I got all that pure Vampire blood I haven't slept a wink." Chase shook her head. "Dad…"

"Your father and grandfather only did that to save your life. No parent should have to outlive their children."

**HENRY'S LAB:**

Ashley walked into Henry's lab to find her werewolf friend hunched over a computer hard at work. At least she hoped he was hard at work and not doing something else. Moving over to him quietly she peeked over his shoulder and saw he was decrypting some sort of computer program. "Hey, Henry, I want you to do something for me." She said and had the pleasure to see him jump.

"Jesus Ashley, don't do that." He complained but turned to her anyway. Henry was trying to act as if nothing had happened, and that they all hadn't been separated these last few months.

"Yeah yeah, I want you to find out every person we have come into contact with who has the initial JM…." Ashley started to ask but then her favorite Werewolf interrupted her.

"James Moriarty, there problem solved now go away." Henry snapped. He was doing something very important and he didn't need Ashley bothering him.

"Very funny wolf boy. Would you please?" Ashley flicked Henry in the back of his head.

"Ash…" Henry drew out her name in a whine, even though he knew he was going to do the search anyway.

"Just do it." Ashley poked him in the shoulder and laughed when he scowled at her.

"You know I think these are the moments that I didn't miss when you were gone!" Henry shouted over his shoulder in a playful tone when Ashley headed out of the door.

**THREE DAYS LATER:**

It took Henry three days to run through every name that had come into contact with the Sanctuary. He had taken so long because of the specific filter he had been asked use. Ashley had asked him to ferret out only the names with the initials JM. The computer spat back thirteen names. It was hard to believe that only thirteen names came back. The other reason it took him so long was that he ran the search again to verify that the first number was right. And again thirteen names came back.

James Mason

John Michaels

Jenny Murdock

Justin McDougal

Joan Marsh

Jonathan Mathews

Jonas Mayborn

Jacob Miller

Jillian Meadows

Jefferson Makerson

Jackson Moershel

Jack Morin

James Moriarty

Henry stared at the last name and he knew he was going to get chewed out for that one. But he had rerun the search twice and that name had populated both times. Course the date next to the name was well before Henry started to work for the Sanctuary, it was well before he was born. He printed out the list and headed to the doc's office.

**HELEN'S OFFICE:**

Helen looked up in time to see Henry come through the door carrying a piece of paper which she assumed were a list of names. She had tried to remember all the people she had seen, worked with, or knew with the initials JM and still she came up blank. It was a good thing she had Henry. All of her records had been transferred to digital, backed up, and back up a second time on a second server.

"Hey Doc, ok I ran a search and I only came up with thirteen names."

"Thirteen? Are your serious?" Helen stood up and held out her hand for the paper. There was no way that number was right, there had to be more than thirteen people.

"Pretty serious and before you ask I ran the search twice. In both cases it came back the same."

"Then I want you back at your computer getting locations, addresses on these names minus the thirteenth name." Helen wanted to over look that name because she couldn't quite believe that this one might actually exist. In Doyle's books Sherlock Holmes was always bested by Professor Moriarty.

"When I find the addresses what are we going to do? Ask them if they are corpse cutting, head taking maniacs?"

"We'll think of something, Henry," Helen replied; making a conscious effort not to laugh. She looked at the names again and made a motion for him to leave. Henry certainly did have a colorful way of asking questions when he needed to.


	5. Chapter 5

Summary: The Druitt/Magnus family is divided, scattered through the world. But another force will rise to bring the family back together and test the resolve of the network.

Disclaimer: I own nothing of sanctuary or the characters... except for Chase.

Rating: M

**RISING TIDES:**

**HELEN'S OFFICE:**

Chase sat on the sofa across from her father and sister and listened to her mother run down the list of names. They had twelve names to investigate but she could tell that her mother was holding something back; a thirteenth name. Henry had told her about it last night just before he went to sleep. Chase had stayed in bed until she was sure he was fully into the realm of dreams and then she walked to her balcony where she reclined on the wide railing to watch the moon and the stars. Before chase had never minded sleeping, it just seemed to get in the way when danger was so near. Now that she didn't sleep she found that she missed what little bit of relief it brought to her mind. Shaking her head Chase tuned back into what her mother had been saying. There would be teams of two; Chase would be paired with Will, Ashley and Jax, and her parents would be the final team.

"Why isn't Henry going?" Chase asked. She liked Will; she really did, but she would rather be with Henry. There was just his way of staring that creeped her out. Will stared at everything as if he could see through them; know all the secrets.

"Henry is technical support on this mission." Helen answered. She could see the real reason Chase wanted Henry to go. It wasn't that she minded her daughter being with Henry, but this was time for business.

"Fine," Chase muttered and stood from the couch to pace in front of the window. She would be forever chained to this place, and there was nothing she could do to escape that fate. The sanctuary was a magnet; all of them were drawn there. She guessed it could be worse. She could still be with the Cabal.

"So, when do we go?" Ashley enquired. She too got up from the couch. Sitting too long made her edgy.

"We'll start fresh tomorrow." Helen answered. She didn't know what else to say. There were no words to take away the events of the past week. No matter how hard she tried Helen could not take away the reminders of what had happened in the past for her girls or for her and John. She was getting tired of the universe intervening in her life and the lives of her family.

"If that's the case then I have a few errands to run." Chase turned and teleported out of the Sanctuary. She ended up in a back ally where she was to meet a contact of hers. Carter was a shady character who knew more about the underworld than even her mother. He made it his life to know all the information there was to know. Due to his abnormal nature he could do just that; his mind was equal to any high speed computer.

"Ah, the gifted child has returned to the eternal embrace of the dark."

"Oh, please," Chase groaned and turned towards where she heard his voice filtering out of the dark. "You have information I want, and I want it now." She demanded and stepped closer to the moving shadows.

"You know the price darlin'," Carter materialized out of the dark and smiled his good old boy smile.

Chase wasn't convinced. If she knew Carter, then she knew he had the information buried in his head, but there would be a price. Would she be willing to pay the price if he had the information? Depending on the price. When she had used his before it had always been money, but chase had spent the last three days checking on him and checking out his new clientele. Right not it wasn't clear on what he would exact in payment. She was here now; she might as well go through with it. "I want to know…" She looked up to the setting sun and then continued, "What do you know about the name James Moriarty?" Chase was sure that he was a real person whether or not they were using the name as a cover.

"Literary figure; chief nemesis of Sherlock Holmes, the Napoleon of crime. What else is there? He's a fictional character." It had been two years since she had last bartered with him for information. What would she want information on a literary figure for?

"Oh yes, he is so fictional that he sent me a severed head and a severed finger of two different people." Chase snapped. Her anger rising she lashed out and kicked the brick wall. Slight pain ran up her nerve endings and it only made her growl. The universe was messing in her life once again, taking from her and yet never giving. All she had was pain and reminders of the animal she was. Now all those who knew her were in danger of dying, and all because she was borne of two people who should have died a century ago.

**BACK AT THE SANCTUARY:**

John waited around until Ashley had left. He wanted to talk to Helen; he knew she was keeping something from them. Then, at the same time he didn't want to push her, to force her to give information that she wasn't ready to give until she had proof. Helen always needed proof, even for her unexplainable creatures. When the door shut John got to his feet and walked slowly over to where she stood by the window. "There is something that you are not telling." John whispered.

"There was one more name on the list. Henry ran the search twice just to make sure that the entire list was compiled with accuracy." Helen turned to John and was instantly rocketed back to the past. There he stood, his hair tied back, the darkness of his clothes making him appear paler, and there he stood being the man she knew before the madness took him. Her heart faltered, sped up, and filled with love. She ached to brush aside some of his bangs that had fallen over his eyes.

"Chase was right?" John asked even though he knew the answer.

"This time yes," Once again turning to the window Helen surveyed her city. It was home to so many abnormals, it was her home, and there was a new threat on the horizon. "Why can't the world just leave us alone?" she asked.

"The world seeks to test us, test our resolve and our strength to survive." John replied sliding his arms around her waist. He knew that her question was supposed to be answered but he did anyway. She leaned back into him and rested her head on his shoulder as her temple touched his jaw. John just held her. There were no more words; he used the one thing he knew would soothe. He used his arms and his warmth to reassure her.

Helen was getting sick and tired of the continued intrusion into her life. She was up for adventure, a good problem to solve, but receiving tokens of her past was not something she had anticipated. Maybe she had just grown secure in the knowledge that she, John, her father, and Nikola being the only still alive form the 1800's. Was it arrogance? Helen doubted it, but she wasn't certain about that doubt. She knew the wonders of the hidden world that coexisted right long side the world of men, but even then she sometimes was not sure of all the beings that inhabited that world. The possibility existed that they were not the only ones, but she had no evidence, only a vague sense that this was the case. "Will we survive this new threat?" Helen had to ask, had to have John's reassuring words that they would.

John tightened his hold on her slightly and whispered, "We will come out victorious."

**SIDE STREET:**

"You know what I want Druitt" Carter snarled.

"Of course I know and it is the one thing I can not give." Chase paced up and down. Ten minutes she had haggled for an alternative form of payment, but Carter was adamant. He wanted her blood and nothing else. Before he had only been interested in money. What was the underworld coming to? Sex and money had been their bread and butter, not blood and misery was the trade.

"I'll give you the address you want if you give me the address I want." In the end they all relented no matter how hard they tried to offer another form of payment. He had been on the receiving end of Chase's alternate form of payment before. It had been one of his better experiences but not one he was eager to repeat. She was a wild abnormal and wild abnormals were deadly on a good day. Before he knew what was happening Carter found himself up against the dirt ally wall with a blade at his throat.

"How do I know you're not lying to me?" Chase growled. "You do remember what happens to people who lie to me don't you Carter?" She pressed the blade a little harder into his throat and was eager to see more of the crimson blood that she knew was flowing faster beneath his flesh.

"It's good I swear." Carter wailed and shook slightly.

"Then you have your payment." Chase replied. In the end everyone gave into to Carter's payment; she was no different.

**TWO HOURS LATER:**

Carter once again used the shadows for travel and concealment. He had to get to his employer quickly before anyone discovered him with the blood of the Ripper. Or in this case the Ripper's daughter. When he reached his destination his employer would reward him for a job well done. A siren sounded one street over and Carter froze. But the sirens turned away and headed down another street. Carter relaxed and once again set off for his boss's location.

Ten minutes later Carter was standing before his boss extending his hand with the vial of blood. "You have done well." The voice that emanated from the shadow had the power to make the blood run cold and Carters was ice. "You should leave less the new Ripper coming looking for you."

"I was planning on it. The deepest darkest hole is waiting for me. Then again I may hide under a rock and pray for mercy." Carter muttered and turned to leave. As soon as his back was turned his boss struck from behind. The knife blade glinted off the lights and soon was painted crimson as Carter fell to his knees choking on his own blood. Death meant nothing to him. He lived in the shadow of its carnage all the time. What he sought to do was delay the Sanctuary, the Magnus family for a few hours.

**SANCTUARY:**

Chase teleported onto her balcony and waited until she was sure there was no one beyond the doors before she walked in. Henry was asleep in her bed with the covers tucked down around his waist. By the light of the moon she could see his nipple rings and the piercing he had in his navel. At one time she thought it odd that a man would have his navel pierced; that seemed so girly, and yet this was Henry she was thinking about it and it all made perfect sense. Henry was unconventional, brilliant, and eccentric. All things she loved about him. Suddenly light illuminated her room and Henry was sitting up with a curious expression on his face.

"Busted," Henry opened his eyes and saw Chase lowly making her way to the door of her bed room.

"I wasn't doing anything illegal," Chase defended and shook her head at the slight British accent that she had been using since coming home. Ashley was the normal one of the two of them, she at least sounded from the country she wasn't born in.

"Then where were you?" Henry sat up and tucked the blanket around his waist.

"Henry, I was…" Chase dropped on the edge of the bed and sighed. "I want you to run down an address for me. I think this may be the man who is threatening us." Between two slender, pale, fingers was a piece of paper. It had the address she had traded her blood for on it.

"Yeah, sure, I'll run it in the morning." Henry conceded. He leaned in and kissed Chase.

Chase pulled back, smiled, and said, "Thank you. No go back to sleep. I still have a few things to do…"

"You don't sleep anymore." Henry stated. She hadn't slept for months, not since the Vampire blood had been transfused into her body. His hands traveled down her side and rested on her hips, it was there that he felt a piece of gauze taped over her hip bone. "What is this?"

"I was just at a tattoo parlor in Chinatown." Chase stood up and removed the gauze. She had gotten the words, 'Only the chosen left alive, immortals all the holy Five' in a wide circle around the Yin-Yang she already had.

"Kind of weird, but love the scrawl work." Henry ran his index finger over the Gothic lettering; the new addition looked like it had healed weeks ago.

Chase didn't want to talk about it, she just wanted to feel her blood pumping through her veins and she wanted passion to engulf her. Leaning into Henry she took his lips and brought out the sensual side of him. It was enough to wash away the memory of the payments he had made and the bad feeling she got from it. Tomorrow would herald bad news, but now she had Henry in her arms and his lips to hers.

**ASHLEY'S BEDROOM:**

Ashley lay back in the comfort of Jax's arms while she listened to the low rumbling purr that sounded in his chest as it mixed with the beat of her music she had playing. Both sounds were enough to induce sleep but she could not will her mind to shut down and her eyes to close. Instead she kept her gaze fixed on the window and the city just beyond the glass. She had been trying to form the words to tell Jax what was occupying her mind, but she couldn't. Ashley was worried about the new threat, worried about her mother, about her sister, and she was still unsure about her father. He had been around constantly for nearly a year and still she was not used to him, used to having a father. He was still the Ripper, but there was also another side of him that was slowly bleeding back through. It was as if he was fighting day and night to be just John Druitt and not a combination of the two. Ashley thought she would hate him and then get on with life, but he had saved her and her mother in Rome, helped to bring her home from the Cabal, protected her sister, and loved her mother with every breath in his body. She should be happy that she had a father and that he wasn't dead, but she still couldn't move past all the anger.

"Tell me," Jax whispered in his southern accent.

"I'm just thinking about a range of things. Mainly thinking about how I still hate my dad," Ashley answered, shifted, and tucked her head under his chin. After everything she felt hate in her heart for him.

"Hmm," Jax muttered. He hadn't had his parents since he had been twelve. There was no way he could ever imagine hating his father. "Maybe you don't really hate him, you only hate the fact that he hasn't been there for you like he'd been there for Chase."

"I guess, I don't know. He helped to topple the Cabal because of what they did to me, and to Chase." Ashley explained and snuggled into Jax's warmth.

Jax tightened his arms around her and just held her. In the time since his escape from the Cabal he had to become a monster, a killer, just to survive to the next day. He could never imagine the life Ashley lived here safe in the Sanctuary. This was a fortress compared to some of the places he and Andie haunted when they were younger. Ashley had security, she had her mother who loved her, and she had a father who was trying the best way he could, and she had a sister battling the same demons that Ashley hated in her father. When he had been in the Cabal it had been Chase who had been the strongest, the most brutal, while Jax only protected his sister. Chase had protected them all. And yet here was Ashley, her father had left her in a pit with a very dangerous abnormal to die. She had every reason to hate him and she had every reason to hate Chase for that matter and the care she received from their father. "Do you think it's also possible that all you can see him as is the man afflicted with anger, the man who left you to die?"

"Taking head shrinking classes from Will again?" Ashley grumbled and turned to him, but she knew he only asked because he cared. Jax was the first guy to stick around even when things were not ideal. He stayed and Ashley was grateful. When she came back she half expected him to be nothing but a ghost, only leaving behind the memory of his presence.

"It's a possibility. Ashley, the man inside the monster is just as tormented as any other person within these four walls. Maybe you should talk to him, really talk to him."

"Maybe I will when all is said and done with who ever seeks to ruin our lives now." Ashley said. Did she mean it? Maybe. She might talk with him and then again she might just go on pretending that things were fine with her family. There was nothing more to be gained from beating this particular subject and rather than talk about it any more Ashley stopped musing about it. She shifted again and trying one more time she settled her mind to fall into sleep wrapped in the security that Jax seemed able to provide her.

**THE NEXT AFTERNOON:**

**HELEN'S OFFICE**

Dr. Helen Magnus watched as a police cruiser pulled up out side her front gates and asked fro entrance. She knew the police had no jurisdiction within the bounds of her Sanctuary and she had no obligation to allow them to enter, but something told her that she should allow them entrance. Remotely she opened the front gate and went down to greet them at the front door. It was there that she met up with Chase and Ashley. Chase was dressed in a pair of blue jeans that rode low on her hips and a black leather belt that sported studs all the way around it and a leather vest that barely covered her abdomen with the faint scars from the wound that Ashley had left her sister almost a year ago. They were nearly invisible unless you knew where to look. Ashley, as usual was dressed in blue jeans and a tank top. Both girls were barefoot. "Just in time, we have guests." Helen remarked and opened the door before the police detective had time to knock.

Joe Cavanaugh had been about to knock when the large door opened and revealed three woman all with curious expressions on their faces. The only one he was interested in was standing to the right of the blonde. Clearing his throat Cavanaugh spoke, "I'm looking for Eris Druitt."

Helen was taken aback, but recovered and willed herself not to look at Chase. She knew her daughter had other aliases simply because of what she had done for James. "Please, come in." Helen stepped aside and led the detective up to her study. With a barely imperceptible wave of her hand she motioned for Chase and Ashley to follow.

Once inside the sanctum of her study Helen once again asked, "What can I do for you?"

Cavanaugh looked from Dr. Magnus, to the blonde girl and then to the brunette at the blonde's side. From the CCTV footage and blood he knew that she was Eris Druitt. The only difference to the girl was a diagonal scar running along her right cheek. "As I said at the door, I'm looking for Eris Druitt; you know the one next to the blond."

Chase snickered and said in her best British accent, "Alright, you caught me detective. Any priceless artifacts gone missing lately?" Before the cop could turn she shook her head at her mother and put her hand on her sister's arm. This was one mess she would have to lie her way out of alone.

"No, I'm here in connection with a murder." Cavanaugh clarified.

"I'm not a killer. No, I steal pretty pretty shiny things and sell them to the highest bidder." Chase slipped easily into her persona of Eris, it was her middle name after all; goddess of strife and discord.

"Do you know this man?" Cavanaugh handed over a photo.

"Carter Slade, a nice back ally leach who traffics in information. Did someone finally knife him in the back?" Chase tucked her thumbs into her pockets and turned to stalk towards the window.

"He was found dead this morning." Cavanaugh confirmed. But the D.B had had his throat slit from behind with the girl's blood sprinkled over his body. Forensics hadn't found any blood in the wound track, but it was enough to question her as to her whereabouts. Looking her all the way over from head to toe he couldn't find any trace of a wound. Sure he saw scars but those had to be years old.

"Couldn't have happened to a nicer rat," Chase said in mock sympathy turning once again to face the Homicide Detective.

"Can you tell me where you were between the hours of Midnight and five am?" Joe moved closer to her, but a look in her eyes warned him to come no further.

"Well, since you asked. From ten pm until twelve this morning I was trading for information from our dead Mr. Slade and then after that I was at an all night Tattoo parlor in Chinatown." Chase grasped the edge of her belt and lowered the fabric of her jeans low enough to reveal the new addition to her tattoo. "Mr. Lee was doing a touch up for me. I was there for a good two hours, and then I came home where I…"

"Went to sleep?" Cavanaugh supplied and figured that would be her answer. It was everyone's answer.

"I don't sleep, but I was in bed." Chase chuckled wickedly and moved closer to the Detective. "I could let you get a closer look at my, touch up, if you doubt my sincerity." Over his shoulder she saw the expression her mother wore, and it was not a friendly one; it clearly said 'stop playing'. Chase knew there would be some things she would have to explain.

"I'll take your word for it." Cavanaugh coughed, "but I will have to ask you to come down town to answer a few more questions."

"Detective I'm sure you realize you have no jurisdiction within the bounds of this Sanctuary." Helen interjected.

"Yes Ma'am, but she is a suspect in a murder case. I hope you are willing to cooperate?" Cavanaugh stepped away from Eris and moved closer to the doctor.

"She's not a murderer." Helen stated and looked at Chase.

"I'm not saying she is, but she…" Cavanaugh tried to back pedal but Eris interrupted.

"Let me guess I was the last to see him alive or you have trace evidence that ties his murder to me." Chase knew she shouldn't have paid Carter's price. "You have my blood right?"

"How did you know that?" Cavanaugh rounded on her with surprise in his eyes.

"If you had done more research on your dead back ally rat, you would have seen that he haunts blood banks and demands payment in fresh blood. The leach had a blood fetish," After Henry had gone to sleep last night she had done a deeper search on Carter to see what her mother had on him.

Cavanaugh was shocked about the in depth information this girl had on his D.B, but he shouldn't have been. The information he had managed to glean on her said she was thorough and meticulous. Eris Druitt was well known by MI6 and Interpol. "We'll be in touch." He left quickly to try and find more evidence to tie her to the murder. There was something about her that didn't fit. Most people when told about a murder reacted with shock and surprise; she acted as if she didn't care.

The three Magnus women watched as the Detective fled the office and waited until they heard the front door close before speaking. Helen turned in time to see Chase shake her head with a bemused smile on her face. Something told Helen that this was not the first time she had been questioned by the authorities. 'Oh, James, what trouble did you get her into?' Helen thought. It was time to read the file James had complied on Chase. "Want to tell me what that was all about?"

"It's nothing but…" Chase started to say.

"Murder is not nothing Chase." Helen stated, anger coming into her words. She had done her fare share of nefarious deeds, but she balked at murder; it was a raw nerve with her since John.

"Mom, take a pill. I was checking to see if any new big bad has come to town using the name James Moriarty, and guess what I found out."

"Do tell," For the moment Helen was going to put the fact that her daughter was a murder suspect on the back burner.

"There is some new power in town that is keeping in the shadows, but Carter knows every underworld flunky, leach, rat, and everyone above that. Mr. Jones left a power vacuum when he was killed, so far no one has been able to fill his shoes, until an abnormal by the name of Moriarty came to town."

"How did he know this?" Ashley asked.

"Slade had the mind of a computer, his abnormal gift. If he was murdered then I would place money that it was this 'Moriarty' who did the dastardly deed." Chase answered and cleared her throat so she could sound like normal and kick the British accent.

"And that brings us back to how they found your blood at the scene. I want the truth Chase." Helen crossed her arms and waited.

"I was telling the truth. Usually I would have paid him in diamonds or cash, but this time he wanted blood. I figured he had just gotten weirder in his…" Chase shook her head, "after I got home I knew better, but what was done was done."

"And what about the name 'Eris Druitt'?" Ashley inquired.

"James gave me that as my alias. I figured as long as I was going to be a criminal, might as well be named as such," Chase said quickly. It was true that he had, but only after she had done some research on the name Druitt and before she had found out that he had been her father. One time she had been in James's study, well she had snuck in, and she had found a few references to John Druitt and Jack the Ripper. When Chase had asked him about it James had given her the cliff notes version of who the man was but other than that she had used her own ingenuity to find more information about him.

"How long have you had that alias?" Helen asked but wasn't sure she wanted to know. She wondered how John would feel to know that their daughter had made a semi living as a criminal.

"Since I was eighteen," Chase lowered her head and ran her thumb over her tattoo. The same words she had scrawled around her yin-yang were the same words she had read in James's notes regarding the ripper as well as a reference to the Five. She just hadn't had the heart to ask him what the meant.

Ashley moved closer and asked, "What did you get added?"

"I added, 'Only the chosen left alive, Immortals all the Holy Five.' I liked the way the words rolled off the tongue." Chase looked at Ashley and saw a flash of anger in her sister's eyes. "What?"

"Nothing, it's just the first time I heard those words dad had almost kicked my ass." Ashley bit out. That fight still had the power to rub her raw and hurt her pride.

Helen digested all the new information as well as she could. Her suspicions about Moriarty had been confirmed and she had planned to check around with John when they were out and vetting the other names on the list. Feeling the need to put aside everything else they still had to stick the task at hand. Later Helen could deal with everything else. "For now we should stick with the task at hand. We will check out all the other names. I would like to be thorough than take the word of a dead…."

"Rat," Ashley and Chase spoke as one.

"In this case yes. Henry should be done running down addresses by now. When he has them, then we move. Until then…"

"Be ready to leave at the drop of a hat?" Chase asked as she dropped onto the couch cushion.

"Yes." Helen turned to Ashley and said, "If you'll excuse us."

"Sure," Ashley drew out the word and headed for the door. Whatever was about to happen she certainly didn't want to witness it. She thought it a good time to go and see what Henry had in regards to the address search.

With the door closed Helen went to her desk and opened the second drawer on the left so she could pull out the thick folder that she had kept there since Will had given it to her. It was the folder that James had kept on Chase. Using only the silence Helen walked back to the couch and dropped the thick folder down on the table in front of Chase. Her daughter recognized the folder and actually averted her gaze. "Do you know what this file contains?"

"Yes, partially," Chase answered. "I was out of control when I first moved there. James had to teach me control any way that he could. What better way than to turn me into a thief. A thief has to blend into the darkness, has to have patience. He used any and all means to train me in this development of my skills. I guess he realized that I was more like dad than I was you." Chase lifted her hand rubbed at the scar on her right cheek. There was no need to send her sister away for this. It never shamed her that she was a thief; she was actually proud of it, never being caught, not even with the warrants for her arrest. What James hadn't deleted he had buried so deep down that no one would find them.

"What else?" Helen hadn't had the heart to read the words contained on the paper.

"You'll probably find warrants for my arrest that James hadn't managed to delete from the Interpol and Europol database." Chase spoke calmly but she didn't look at her mother. "I stole abnormals was private research facilities that would use them for nefarious means. Or I was tasked to get my hands on information or new technology that would have been in the wrong hands. It was how I came to the attention of the Cabal. You weren't the first one to steal from them mother."

Helen laid her hand on Chase's knee. For all of her younger daughter's brash behavior there was always that underlying sense of control. What other people mistook for laziness was actual patience and control. She got that from John. He often exuded the air of laziness. Ashley was guilty of it as well. "Why didn't you tell us where you were going?"

"Because I wanted proof before I brought you my suspicions. I needed something to back up my claims."

"Did you not think I would believe you?" Helen asked.

"You like proof, facts, and if I had none…" Chase shook her head, "No, I guess I thought you would write it off as nothing."

"Do you have the address?" Helen inquired. She and John would check it out while the others were away.

Chase pulled out the small piece of paper Carter had given her and handed it over to her mother. It would do nothing to argue with her, Chase knew that. So with out reservation Chase gave her mother what she wanted. There was a good chance that if it was the place her mother would need the skills of the ripper and not some hot headed 22 year old. Just as her mother had done, Chase said nothing as she rose from the couch to leave. It was harrowing to know that she had warrants for her arrest still active. Maybe she could get Henry to delete them for her. But knowing her mother there would be another way that didn't involve jail time.


	6. Chapter 6

Summary: The Druitt/Magnus family is divided, scattered through the world. But another force will rise to bring the family back together and test the resolve of the network.

Disclaimer: I own nothing of sanctuary or the characters... except for Chase.

Rating: M

**RISING TIDES:**

**HELEN'S OFFICE:**

Helen waited until Chase, Will, Ashley, and Jax left to go and check out the names on the separate lists. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the small piece of paper that Chase had given her a few hours ago. John stepped close to her side and peered at the address. Helen breathed in and then turned to him and handed the paper. This was where they were going instead of checking on the rest of the names. Helen knew the rest of the people on her list and she knew the address given for the last name was false. She trusted the address Chase got out of her weasel. "This is where we are going." Helen had had Henry run down the address and trace the ownership.

"Are you certain?" John asked as he read the address and fixed the location in his mind.

"This is our…" Helen started to say.

"Needle in the haystack," John interjected and smiled.

"Pessimist," Helen shot back but nodded. This was their best shot and they had to take it no matter what John thought. "No, Chase managed to get an address on our ever elusive JM. I still refuse to acknowledge that the initials still stand for James Moriarty." She smiled.

"There is something you're not saying?" John pried. He knew her, knew when she was holding back information. The last time she kept something was just before she told the others of the _Sanguine Vampiris_ that Gregory Magnus had hid. Of course John had smiled at her and nodded slightly.

"Chase got the information…." Helen debated telling him the events of the morning but it wouldn't do him any favors. John didn't need to know just yet that Chase was a suspect in a murder investigation. It would put too much pain in his eyes and it would rip his heat asunder. It was too much for him to bear knowing that Ashley and Chase were born with his blood lust. For John to know this then he would never be the same around Chase.

"You said that already. Still there is something more, what you're not telling me is how she got the address." John could see it in her eyes. If she didn't want to tell him then he would not pry for the information further. Time would come when she would tell him and John had to wait for that; he was trying out being a patient person. Patience after all was a virtue. John aligned his body to Helen's placing his hand on her hip while he thought of the address to take them there. All the while he had a gut gnawing feeling that something was going to go wrong; danger was always certain for them no matter where they went, today would be no different. John feared it would be Helen to suffer.

**CHASE AND WILL:**

Will Zimmerman was never a fan of the way chase, Ashley, and Druitt could teleport. Too many things could happen, but the simple fact was it made him queasy. And Will hated feeling queasy. They had made a jump to just outside the residence of Joan Marsh; a 77 year old pyrokinetic; a little old lady who for all intents and purposes could burn them to a cinder if she chose. Some how Chase doubted a little old lady would go around chopping people's heads off and sending severed fingers to others. It just didn't seem logical. Any yet here they were clearing the good name of a little old lady who was a human torch.

"All I'm saying is maybe a little added warning before you teleport us would be much appreciated." Will griped as she trudged after the surly Chase. Strangely enough the younger Magnus was dressed just like Ashley had been when she had been with the Cabal; it was a little creepy. But then again there were warring sides to her personality, just as Helen had once described John.

"Stop whining Will," Chase sighed and stepped up on the porch to hit the door buzzer.

"I'm just saying…" Will muttered stepping up beside Chase.

"Seriously, you want to complain about teleporting when it saves gas in a car? Besides, right now we are here to visit a little old lady so we can clear her from mom's list of JM people when we really don't need to because we all know who the JM person really is and my mother just doesn't want to admit it." Chase rambled and pushed the buzzer again.

"Are you ok?" Will furrowed his brow and cast a sideways glance at Chase.

"I'm fine, just not sure why we are in a retirement home questioning a little old lady who is pyrokinetic." There was nothing to be gained from questioning a 77 year old woman. It was just nuts.

"If Magnus thinks something should be checked out, then it should be investigated," Zimmerman had faith in the choices Magnus made.

"Yeah, whatever," Chase grumbled and straightened when the door opened and a sweet faced elderly lady smiled at them. The woman was dressed in soft blue pants; pastel yellow cable knit top and white sandals.

"Dr. Magnus, how nice to see you dear. Please come in…"

"No, no, I'm not Helen. I'm actually her…" Chase started to say, but she realized that it would do no good.

"Oh don't be ridiculous I may be 77 years old but I can still see who you are Helen." Joan said in a nice elderly voice as she took Chase's hand and pulled her inside.

"Time to start acting," Will muttered as he to crossed the threshold into the older woman's house. It was definitely not like entering any other grandmother's house.

**ASHLEY AND JAX:**

Ashley and Jax appeared in a field and looked around. They were supposed to be at the address of Jack Morin. Instead there were standing in a field of wild flowers and tall trees that looked like it would house a cabin for some rustic escape. If this was his address where was the house and where was the man? It made no sense and Ashley looked around. There was nothing here; just trees and flowers and the wild life lurking in the shadows too scared to come out and investigate the strangers in their world. It was kind of surreal to be here, to be somewhere far away from the city and yet be so close. Ashley felt at ease here; she didn't need to be on guard in this place of peace and stillness.

"If this is someone's home then…" Ashley made a motion with her hands to indicate the open space in front of them.

"Is he and abnormal?" Jax asked and slowly inhaled. He caught the scent of Ashley, the scent of the wild flowers in the distance, and the scent of a man just out of reach.

"I would assume so. Why else would he come to the Sanctuary?" Ashley countered and looked around. There was something here, she just couldn't see it. She had read the limited data on Jack Morin and there had been a reference to what his abnormal ability was but she had been too focused on Jax who had been staring at her the entire time. What was she missing?

Jax glanced at Ashley and made a tight circle around them. "What did the file say again?" he asked as he continued to circle; his senses on high alert. In addition to being out in the middle of no where there was now someone watching them. The lion could sense it, but the man's eyes could not see.

"I'm trying to remember." Ashley scanned the clearing as well. She knew there was something they were over looking, and knowing them it was right in front of their faces. But some sort of power was obstructing their view. Picturing the file in her mind Ashley recalled all the details she read and then she remembered. "He's a shadow."

"A what?" Jax stopped and he recalled hearing a rumor about such abnormals.

"A shadow, these abnormals have the ability to make things disappear in plain sight. It's useful when you need to hide." Ashley informed and looked around again. She picked a point heading North West and started to walk towards it. Instantly the house she had been looking for materialized and so did the man sitting on the porch with a shot gun.

**JOHN AND HELEN:**

John and Helen had teleported inside the musty, dank, dark warehouse. Helen shook her head and fought back the sense of disorientation. It was the one thing she hated about teleporting; they sometimes made her dizzy. Smells assaulted her, but over the strong scent of mold and water was the scent of blood. Stepping slightly away Helen was almost immediately yanked back against John's chest and he hissed in her ear, "Wait."

John didn't know how he knew, but he just knew that as soon as she stepped away from him that a trap would be triggered. He was more convinced than ever that this was the right location and all the others would be a waste of time. John could also see why Helen had sent them there; to keep them safe and out of harms way.

"What do you see?" Helen whispered as well. Now the sense of danger was even more apparent, but there was no turning back now. The only way was to go foreword.

"A faint outline of a trip wire just there," John slowly moved out his hand to point where the wire was. It was as faint as a spider thread.

"How did you know?" She asked as John sank down to his haunches. Helen sank down next to him and felt encased by the deep dark shadows.

"I felt it, felt the danger." John replied. From his vantage point low to the ground he could see two figures chained to the wall, two people he knew very well. Once again John pointed and Helen tracked her gaze in that direction. She was about to call out when John clamped his hand over her mouth. It was pure instinct on her part to call out and John knew that.

Helen shook her head against the tears as the anger rose within her. She was getting tired of enemy after enemy coming after her network and her family. Looking up again she saw Nikola leaning over, the chains stretched out. Next to him was James. James was supposed to be dead. She had seen him die in Bhalasaam. Who ever was doing this not only had the ability to revive the dead but was keeping two of the five alive to use for experiments. "John, we have to get them out of there."

"I can't teleport four people at one time," John said as he kept his eyes on the only other two people to know the world they came from. "I'll take you back first, and then I'll…"

"No, John get them out first. I can stay down in the shadows."

"Helen…"

"Please?" Helen said softly and placed the lightest kiss to his lips that she could.

"Stay down." John relented; he always did with Helen. He watched as Helen pulled out a gun and slowly drew the hammer back. She gave him a sarcastic smile and motioned for him to go. John teleported the short distance to the upper platform, placed his hands on Nikola and James, and then he took them back to the Sanctuary.

Helen watched as John left. She held her gun in both hand, taking deep, calming breathes as she waited for him. That gave her time to slip along the shadows and get more view of the make shift lab. There was one section of it that she knew all too well. It was a replica of the basement lab she and John, James, Nikola, and Nigel had set up in the basement of Oxford. This was a reminder of a time when things were new and exciting. Who would dare to recreate this? Slowly creeping closer Helen spied a vial on the wooden table. Looking around to make sure that no one was there, even though she had the sense of being watched, Helen used her telekinetic abilities to bring the vial to her open hand. She breathed out slowly and felt someone behind her. Turning she saw no one, but when she turned back to survey more of the lab a hand touched her shoulder and suddenly she was looking at her own Sanctuary walls. But something wasn't right.

John took Helen's hand and pulled her to a standing position. He wasn't ready for her to collapse against him. They spilled to the floor and then did John see what had made her pass out. There was dart in her back. Removing it quickly John teleported them to the infirmary where he had taken James and Nikola. As usual the Vampire was up and about. John had neither the time nor the patience to deal with him. Something was wrong with Helen. Lifting her into his arms he placed her on a bed and tried to get her to wake, "Helen, look at me. Open your eyes, please." But she did not stir.

**WILL AND CHASE:**

The elderly woman had been going on and on about how she loved the little retirement village that Magnus had set up years ago for the aging abnormals. It was another form of safe haven for those who could no long hide their abilities or work. Chase was getting tired of the sweet little old lady referring to her as Dr. Magnus. As much as she loved her mother there was no need for her to be called her mother. The lady was starting in on another story when Chase felt a slight change in mood at the back of her mind. Absently she toyed with her ring and felt the worry grow. Something was wrong with her father. Leaning over she whispered, "We have to go."

"Something wrong?"

Chase rose from the couch and inclined her head, "It was so lovely to see you once again, but a pressing matter has just come up and it is time that we take our leave." Not wanting to wait another minute Chase grabbed Will's hand and teleported them back to the Sanctuary.

Instead of reappearing in her mother's office Chase and Will found themselves in the infirmary with Nikola and her father hovering over her mother. Intense worry washed over her and Chase was to her mother's side in an instant. "What happened?"

"One of the addresses we had was a trap lying in wait." John answered but his attention was still focused on Helen. Nikola was drawing blood and running the standard tests. The vampire was also analyzing the dart that had been in Helen's back.

Chase looked from her mother to the other gurney where James Watson now lay. She could see the gentle rise and fall of his chest and felt shock and panic clog her throat. He was supposed to be dead. Her mother had said he was dead. Talk about a blown call. Not only was James Watson not dead, but he was without the mechanical braces that kept him alive. "What the hell is going?"

"I don't have any answers for you." John answered. He wished he could give her more than that, but he couldn't. "Chase, go and find your sister."

"I don't know where she is." Chase replied. There was no way to tell which name Ashley and Jax had chosen to do first.

"Just go." John barked out his response.

"But I…" Chase tried again.

"Go!" John shouted and turned back to Helen and Nikola continued to examine her.

**JAX AND ASHLEY:**

Ashley had her hands raised in the air showing she wasn't dangerous, but the gun strapped to her hip would contradict the gesture. It was still worth a try none the less. She took careful steps towards the porch all the while watching the older man so he didn't shoot her and Jax, who was staying just out of range. "We're not here to hurt you. My name is Magnus, Ashley Magnus, and I'm sure you know my mother; Helen Magnus."

"Yeah, I know Magnus. What do you want?" Jack lowered the gun and saw the blond relax marginally.

"We're just here to check…"

"If I've been stealing things lately? Well the answer is no. I've been right here, on my porch, watching the beauty of the land. Now go away!" Once again he raised the shotgun and the blond backed off.

Ashley took the few steps back and was met halfway by Jax. She took his hand and wasted no time in taking them back to the Sanctuary. They were going to kiss off finding the rest of the people if they were s crazy as the man on the porch. When she opened her eyes again they were in the hall way outside her room. Only she didn't go inside. Instead she leaned against the door and let out a breath. There was a killer on the loose and all she could think about was Jax. She was so wrapped up in him that everything else seemed so small.

Jax leaned in wrapping his arms around Ashley's waist where his fingers unhooked her belt. She was always armed and that only made him want to touch her more. Ashley was so strong and yet so fragile at the same time. It was something the sister's had in common, but it drew him to Ashley with and insane need to protect her. Jax let his fingers toy with the edge of her jeans and dance over the button that secured the fabric to her hips. Ashley turned in his embrace and draped her arms over his shoulders. There was nothing he wanted more than Ashley. He picked her up by the back of her thighs and braced her against the closed door but it was Ashley who teleported them past the door and onto her bed.

Just when she thought her and Jax would get between the sheets crisis after crisis would crop up and they had no time. And then there was her two month furlough in South Africa to put a damper on things. They had just come back from some crazy guy's house who wielded a shot gun. The adrenaline was still buzzing through her system and her outlet was Jax. He was right above her, cradled between her legs and enjoying being right where he was. A knock at the door interrupted what was happening between them and before they had a chance to move Chase barreled in.

"I don't care what you were doing but you have to…" Chase paused and shook her head, "Leave with me. It's mom."

Ashley was up in a flash and shouting a hurried apology as she dashed out of the door and followed her sister to the infirmary.

**INFIRAMRY:**

Nikola examined Helen, took blood samples, and looked at the dart that had been shot into her back. So far Helen was fine, she was just unconscious and Druitt was becoming unbearable to be around. He went back to Helen's side and did a neurological test to make sure whatever had been in the dart had not been a neurotoxin. Her pupils reacted to the light; at least her brain was fine. Nikola was now sure her blood would yield the answer to the latest mystery.

"I dread asking this of you, but what happed?" John asked not taking his eyes from Helen. Any time he had to talk to Nikola only served to make his temper flare. His temper would be of no use to Helen in the current state she was in.

"I'm not sure really, which is substantial coming from me. One minute I was waking along the streets of Rome and then the next I wake up in shackles. I tell you it is not comfortable." Nikola answered. He knew what it meant for John to talk to him. It was a pain to have to talk to Druitt at all. He walked back over to the counter and gathered a few things he would have to take down to Helen's lab. Right now he was the one hope of saving her and thus once again delivering her into the waiting arms of Druitt. For once why couldn't Helen chose him? Sure he had tried to kill her, but so had that psycho and yet she still chose John over and over again.

"Just figure out what is wrong with her." John mumbled taking her hand in his once again.

"Seeing as you will try to kill me if she takes a turn for the worse, it would appear I have no choice." Nikola sniped.

"If you had only gone back underground like Helen had told you to do in the first place, we might not have had to save you. You might not have gotten captured to begin with." John growled.

"I don't see you coming up with any ideas on how to save her…"

"You have one job here Tesla; save my WIFE!" John shouted getting right in Nikola's face. Turning away John gave into the childish need to punch the wall. He had never meant to call Helen his wife. The time for such things had past. He just couldn't bear to see her lying on the gurney unconscious and not knowing is something more wasn't going on. It was killing John and he was oblivious to the door opening.

"She's not your wife." Ashley stated and with one cold, more like frigid, stare she shut down the anger boiling between Druitt and Tesla. She went straight to her mother and at down on the edge of the gurney. Right now it was only sleep, but nothing was ever so simple dealing with the Magnus family. There was always a time release trap waiting to spring at just the right time. It would appear that this was just another layer of a plan designed to tear them apart.

Chase watched and listened to all the noise going on in the Infirmary, so she was probably the only one who saw Watson wake up and look around at the familiar surroundings. Eventually his eyes settled on her and he gave her a knowing smile, but it was also a smile that said get him out of here. Rather than hang around listening to Nikola and her father shout at each other Chase hugged the wall and made her way over to James. Slipping her hand into his she took him the one place she knew he would feel most at home. Together they appeared in her mother's study.

"Where's your brace?" Chase asked as she sat on the couch opposite him.

"I find that I don't need the hindrance anymore." James breathed in and then breathed out. It felt so good to be free. No more brace and no more borrowed time. James Watson was finally free of his man made life support. He felt young again, almost like he had when they first injected the pure Vampire blood. It was amazing to feel that again. Even his brilliant mind that was so full of words had not one phrase to describe how he felt right now. All he knew was that he was happy.

"Who revived you?" Chase queried. She was sounding more and more like her mother when she was asking questions. Since it looked like her mother was out of commission until Nikola could find out what was wrong. Ashley and Chase would have to take on extra work in solving this new riddle of the identity of the man who wanted to harm them. Chase surmised that she and her sister would have to take another trip back to the water front warehouse and snoop around. That wouldn't be until tonight. Right now she had more pressing matters and that was to ferret out who was actually sitting in front of her. Chase hoped that it really was James.

"Ever so your mother," James chucked. "The answer my feline friend is 'I don't know.' I couldn't see them the entire time we were there. My last memory on this earth was that of Helen crouched next to John with tears in her eyes and just a hint of the man I knew your father to be had resurfaced. Then there was Nikola and Will. After that I woke up in the ware house." James answered. It felt good to talk, to be in the company of Chase. Other than her mother, James had missed seeing Chase. She held such promise and intelligence.

"I'm not my mother. If anyone I am more my father, right down to being a suspect for murder." Chase shot back; her voice taking on a lilting British accent.

"Oh, Chase, I'm sorry." James looked around and then back to Chase. "Is that file on you around anywhere?" It was an innocent question.

Chase's senses perked up and now she was even more aware of what was happening. Yes this was James, but why would he ask about the file? "No, I burned it. I didn't want my mother to see all the other times I had been forced to kill." It wasn't true of course but it James remembered then he would catch on immediately.

"You never killed when you were in London. You were a thief, not a killer. Satisfied as to my identity?" James sighed at her and shook his head. She had been testing him that much he knew. He couldn't really blame her. If James had been in her shoes then he would have done the same thing. It was the little things that stuck out, the little tells.

"Just checking. But I burned it anyway." Chase wanted to keep the file hidden for a little while longer. If it proved to be James then she would tell him where it was. Right now she had her suspicions that he was indeed James Watson, model of Sherlock Holmes.

"Ah, well, in any case we should head back to the infirmary and try and cool the tempers down there. What do you say?" James rose from the couch and held out his arm like the gentleman that he was. He would much prefer not to teleport. James wanted to walk, to feel his muscles actually working without assistance. It was delightful.

"What do I have better to do?" Chase answered and instead of teleporting she and James walked. She could sense the feeling of relief that James was feeling, but more than that she could scent the feeling of joy. James had been a slave to his brace for so long that he might have forgotten what it was like to feel like a man. For years when she lived with him she had only ever known the brilliant man who had been forced to rely on a machine to keep him alive. It was James's version of a life support machine, only there was no tube that went down his throat and kept him breathing. For now Chase was content with seeing James up and about.


	7. Chapter 7

Summary: The Druitt/Magnus family is divided, scattered through the world. But another force will rise to bring the family back together and test the resolve of the network.

Disclaimer: I own nothing of sanctuary or the characters... except for Chase.

Rating: M

**RISING TIDES:**

Chase and James were walking towards the infirmary when she froze. Of her own volition she wouldn't go into that room. She couldn't even though her mother was in there. Turning from the door Chase contemplated running. She felt James's hands on her shoulders urging her to turn back, to walk into that room, but she couldn't, Chase was too afraid of that room and what it meant.

"You can do this; it's just a room." James whispered.

"No, it's not. It's a place of death and sorrow," Chase looked at James, "The last time I was in there I nearly died; I should have died. But now it…" she shook her head closed her eyes. Every time she had been in the infirmary Chase had been unconscious or about to have a panic attack. She hated that room and hated herself for being too cowardly to go in there and see her mother.

Feeling what she needed James pulled her into his arms and held her. In her eyes he could see the frightened fifteen year old she had been when she had come to London. Chase was good at hiding, but her eyes alone told the true story of how she felt. James knew all to well. He rested his chin on top of her head and just let her shake, let her try and contain her raging emotions. James had worked with her to try and control her anger, but in the end she was still her father's daughter, and that rage would just be a mirror image of John's.

**DOWN IN THE LAB:**

Nikola stood looking up at the monitor studying Helen's blood. There was something there and he just wasn't seeing what was keeping her unconscious. It made no sense to him. Nikola rolled his head and heard his neck crack. If he wasn't so proud or intelligent then he would have asked for James to help or if he had to John. But he wanted to be the one to save Helen even though he knew it would do no good. She was still stuck on John and that was how it would always be. Nikola hated it, but there was no way to change her mind.

Sighing Nikola used all three screens, different magnifications of Helen's blood so he could try and see what he was missing. So far it was no promising and but was starting to make him mad. Nikola Tesla: Vampire Genius couldn't figure out a way to save the woman he still loved.

**INFIRMARY****:**

Ashley sat by her mother's side lightly holding her hand as she refused to look at her father. She had walked in at just the moment he was shouting to Nikola that Helen was his wife. It had shocked Ashley and she had said the only thing that had been on her mind. She didn't know if it had been cruel of her to say, but she had said it anyway. Ashley ran her thumb up and down her mother's index finger.

John sat on a chair and studied Ashley who was keeping her eyes away from him. He hadn't meant to call Helen his wife; that time was long past and he knew it, but still the words had slipped free in his anger at Nikola's lack of knowledge. It had just been a slip of the tongue. They were both too tortured to ever have a happily ever after and John knew that and he accepted it. What they had worked for him, but he didn't know the toll it was taking on Ashley or Chase. Yes, they were a family, but they were a damaged family with a history of too much pain. He was going to reach out to her, to try and smooth things over, but he felt Chase just beyond the door out in the hall. Ashley needed space and she needed time with her mother. He sighed and got up from his chair.

**OUT IN THE HALL:**

Chase knew she shouldn't allow James to hold her. It brought back too many memories and they were memories she'd rather not have. He had been good to her, but then he had been too old for her, and he was still too old for her. Pulling back she backed away from him and shook her head while wiping away the tears that had tracked down her cheeks. The anger was just beginning to beat back the sadness. James had moved to hold her again but Chase shook her head. She was going to go to the address that she had given her mother. It was the place that held the answers.

Chase had just been about to teleport away when the infirmary door opened and her father stepped over the thresh hold. She didn't move to him; she just froze as her father moved to James. Chase knew they had been the best of friends before the emergence of the Ripper, and it was a friendship that still lasted today. She watched as James reached out his right hand and placed it over her father's heart. To Chase it was an odd gesture, but everything about them was odd. So odd for them was normal. Her father inclined his head and James stepped back.

John looked over at Chase and saw the confusion on her face. He moved from his friend to his daughter and just cupped her face. She wouldn't be comfortable with more than that, not right now, and he knew that. Chase opened her mouth to speak, but thought better of it. She fisted her hands in his leather duster and teleported them out of the sanctuary.

Chase opened her eyes and saw the dark dank warehouse her parents had gone to. Before her father could ask what everyone always asked she clamped her hand over his mouth and crouched down behind some large crates. Closing her eyes she allowed her eyes to shift to the eerie swirling red and blue that allowed her to see body heat. When she opened them again she had to blink several times.

"What is it? What do you see?" John inquired. Chase turned to him and once again blinked several times.

"I will never get used to this," She hissed and began to scan the room in a sweeping motion. So far everything was either blue and green or just blue. Chase had to move to another section of the warehouse to search again. Without wasting time on speech Chase skirted around the protection of the crates and began to look behind her. Something out of the corner of her eye moved and she it wasn't her father. Chase immediately zeroed in on what, or should she say who was moving and tracked him like the predator she was.

John was about to ask again what Chase was up to when he heard a rustling sound. It wasn't Chase, she was absolutely stock still. He hadn't moved a fraction of an inch either. So someone was truly here. He could kick himself for not sensing it earlier. The more he fought his way back to being John, the more of his predatory instincts he lost and that put his family at risk. Before his own eyes he and his younger daughter were trading roles. Looking at chase he saw her attention was focused on a spot just behind him and the rustling sound had come closer. Chase flicked her gaze to him and then back to the sot just behind him. Like clock work John teleported out of the way and a behind the rustling sound. He thrust out his hand and felt a body in front of him just as Chase came in close with a knife held tight to where someone's throat would be. In an instant a man became visible between them. Without looking at the face John knew who it was, "Griffin?"

"Hello old Boy. Miss me?"

**SANCTUARY:**

**INFIRMARY**

James passed through the open door of the infirmary to see Helen still on the gurney with Ashley at her side hold her hand. Walking over James took the seat that he assumed had been where John was sitting and studied his unconscious friend. Ashley sat as still as possible with only her fingers moving. He reached out and placed his hand over hers. For the first time she looked up and at James. There were tears in her eyes and he knew she refused to let them fall. "She'll pull through Ashley." James whispered.

"I know, but it still doesn't mean that it doesn't hurt to see her here. Usually it's either me or Chase winding up in one of these beds; not her. It…" Ashley looked away. Tears wouldn't help the situation.

James removed his hand and ran his fingers down Ashley's cheek. As much as he wanted to be here he should be down in the lab trying to find a way to help Helen and figure out what was happening to her. John and Chase were off somewhere doing gods knew what but he trusted they would return soon. Rising to his feet James left Ashley with her mother and headed to the lab to offer his assistance to Nikola who would no doubt refuse but James didn't care.

Ashley waited for James to leave. Letting go of her mother's hand she took off her leather jacket, unlaced her boots, and removed her utility belt before she slide on top of the covers next to her mother. She pillowed her head on her mothers shoulder while taking the hand she had been holding.

**WAREHOUSE:**

John signaled Chase to back off and or a second he thought she wouldn't listen, but she moved off keeping her gaze on the man in front of her father. This was just the day for old friends rising from the dead. First James, and now to find Nigel here; John was beginning to doubt the FIVE would ever die. "What happened to you?" John asked releasing Nigel. "Bear in mind should you try to run you will have a difficult time getting away." He warned.

"I thought I was dying." Nigel moved away just a fraction of an inch. "So I devised a way to prolong my life while making the world think I was dead; including the FIVE." While he spoke Nigel was calculating how far he could get before either John or the girl caught him. He wouldn't get very far.

"Why would you do that?" Chase asked.

"Because little girl I was tired. Tired of living in Helen's shadow, James's shadow, and I was tired of living in your shadow John. You, who had everything," Nigel spat. He had been waiting years to say that. In the beginning of the Five they had all been friends, but it was really Helen who had drawn them together. And Helen had had only eyes John.

"Oh yeah, poor you." Chase scoffed because she couldn't think of anything else to say.

"Chase." John snapped. His world from before was crumbling. Had he truly been so wrapped up in Helen that he hadn't seen his friends beginning of madness? John prided himself on knowing, on reading people, but back then there had been only Helen and his powers.

"And you know I bet it doesn't matter that you were the Ripper, Helen probably took you back…" Nigel's head snapped back when John's fist connected with his jaw. That was the opening he needed. Taking that moment Nigel turned invisible and ran for it. Before the girl could lock onto him he slipped into a hidden passage and vanished.

John put a restraining hand on Chase, "No, let him go." As much as he would like to take Nigel back to the Sanctuary there would be another time for that. Right now they had to find something in Nigel's notes that could potentially help Helen. If one thing would be Nigel's down fall it would be his extensive notes. Sometimes he even put James to shame.

"But he's gonna come after us," Chase groaned. Though she knew her father was right. At least with Griffin gone they could snoop around this gods awful smelling place and look for whatever he had been working on in here. As she searched Chase she was mindful to keep an eye out for Nigel Griffin.

**SANCTUARY:**

**THE LAB**

James walked down the steps to see Nikola muttering furiously at the screens. He alternated his gaze between the three large screens and then the tablet in his hands. If James didn't distaste Nikola so much he would have actually felt sorry for the vampire; almost not quite. Though, coming down here did afford James the chance to help. James asked, "Do you require some assistance?"

"No, now leave," Nikola pointed to the top of the stairs without even bothering to look at James.

"Don't be a child. Two minds are better than one." James stepped closer and studied the displayed images.

"I'm so sorry you came back from the dead," Nikola sniped but handed over the tablet to James. He knew the man would be a fresh pair of eyes and he would see what Nikola could not.

"Aww, your compassion is over whelming." James replied and took the tablet. He had never liked Nikola, but the man did know how to use the brain in his skull.

**WAREHOUSE:**

Chase sighed as she searched through yet another note book. This was pointless and it was getting them no where. More than that, she didn't know what she was looking for and it just plain irritated her. Chase was angry and her anger was getting her no where while her father stood at another desk seemingly the picture of calm and serenity. That only served to piss her off more. Maybe it was feline in her, or the just plain rage at all the bad guys coming against her family like a rain that never ended. She growled and tossed a notebook to the side. "This is pointless." Chase snarled even as she retrieved the notebook she had tossed to the floor.

John could feel the boiling rage within his daughter, it was no doubt what he was feeling, but he was keeping it wrapped up tightly within his mind so he could concentrate on helping Helen. Stopping what he was doing he walked to Chase and gently put his hand on her shoulder. "Chase, you should remain calm. Anger will do nothing to help…"

"Gods, I know that…" She moved away and snarled, "Don't you think I know that?" Why couldn't they go back to a time after the death of Dana Whitcomb and just be a family, her parents had been happy, she and her sister had been happy, and the Sanctuary had been getting back to some semblance of normalcy? Chase drew in a brew and held it until the worst of her rage had abated. She was tuning into the monster her father had been, drowning in rage, and not just rage for the enemy. Out of habit she rubbed at the scar on her cheek and fought not to scream out in anger.

He went to her again and this time wrapped his arms tightly around her. She fought at first but the deep constant pressure of his arms around her was doing the trick, it was calming her and taking the worst of the rage from her mind. Helen had once done this for him long ago when he thought he would die with all the hate in his veins. Now he was using the same method on Chase and it seemed to be working for right now at least. "You must be calm, just be calm." He whispered over and over until she stopped fighting him.

"How do you… not drown in… all this hate?" Her words were broken with the effort to keep from growling or shouting.

John leaned his cheek against her temple and squeezed tighter as he spoke in love even tones meant to soothe and calm, "I put in a little box and lock that box up tight and store it in the back of my mind." He rubbed his hands up her arms and tried to keep her calm. But even with the box locked tight he could still feel small amounts of the anger trickling out, trying to take him over.

Her teeth clenched Chaser replies, "I am choking on all this rage."

"I know baby," John replied and kissed her temple. "I know." He held her but was acutely aware of all the shadows around them. They could take this time for her to get her anger under control, to beat it back into the recesses of her mind.

**SANCTUARY:**

Ashley hadn't moved from her seat in almost two hours. Her sister and Father were still gone. James and Tesla were still working in the lab. Henry was fixing something. Will had tried to talk her into eating something; she refused. The Big Guy had just let it be; he knew the family better than everyone else. She sat there quietly holding her mother's hand for fear that if she looked away, let her mother's hand go, that Helen Magnus would disappear. There was nothing to do but wait and it was the waiting that was killing Ashley. At least her sister was of searching for clues; Chase was doing something. But not Ashley, she couldn't be pried from her mother's side. Why couldn't they just go back to a time when things were simple?

Ashley scooted her chair closer and rested her head on her mother's lap but she quickly sat up and searched in the pocket. Something had sat awkwardly under her temple. She pulled out a vile of amber liquid that had an ID number to it. Standing up she glanced again to her mother's still form before she hurried out the door and down to the lab.

When she came down the stairs James and Tesla were arguing and making wild gestures as they talked. It took a few tries to interrupt them but Ashley whistled so loud they had no choice but to cease their yelling. They turned to her and had the good graces to look a little ashamed for how they had been acting, but Tesla being Tesla quickly put his mask of arrogance back in place. Ashley didn't waste calling them childish, "I found this in mom's pocket." Rather than hand it to Tesla she trust the vial at James and waited.


	8. Chapter 8

Summary: The Druitt/Magnus family is divided, scattered through the world. But another force will rise to bring the family back together and test the resolve of the network.

Disclaimer: I own nothing of sanctuary or the characters... except for Chase.

Rating: M

**RISING TIDES:**

**NORTH TOWER**

Ashley couldn't take the bickering, the fighting. She needed air, needed the space to think. Her mother was possibly in a coma and all James and Nikola could do was argue and trade barbs. Then there was her absent father and her absent sister. Ashley was alone right now. She was avoiding Jax and everyone else. This was the curse of her family. They gave the appearance of wanting connection but sacrificed everything for solitude. Things had been working and then all of a sudden so many people wanted to destroy their lives. With the arrival of her father Ashley hadn't seen her mother truly happy in so long. Sure Helen Magnus was content, fulfilled with her work, but the pure happy was caused by her father; John Druitt.

"Ashley?"

"Speak of the Devil. What do you want?" Ashley turned with her arms crossed over her chest. She made sure to school her features into a neutral, passive, look.

"To talk to you, it's important." John stepped closer and then continued, "It's concerning your sister."

"What did you do to her?" Ashley was suddenly on the defensive. He may be her father but she loved her sister more than anything. Lately Chase had been reclusive and her moods were odd. But it was still Chase and Ashley needed to protect her sister.

"Why is every thing automatically my fault?" John held up his hand to silence Ashley before she could offer up recriminations on past deeds that he regretted deep in his heart. "I need you to watch her very carefully. I fear…" John turned and tried to choke out the words that were clogging his throat.

"Dad, what is going on with her?" Ashley put her anger aside and moved to him putting her hand on his shoulder.

"I fear your sister is becoming what I used to be." John refused to look at Ashley for fear he would see hate in her eyes. He loved his daughters and he would do anything to shield them from his rage, his brutality, but it was infecting Chase, turning her into the killer he had been. That was more than he could bear.

"How do you know?" No anger, no fear. It wouldn't help Chase and it wouldn't help Ashley move on in her life and finally accept Druitt as her father. Ever since she was a kid she had always wondered about her father. Now she knew him she wanted to know who he had been before the madness took hold.

"We were investigating the same warehouse your mother and I were at. She became angry, irrational, and finally admitted her rage, admitted that she was choking on her anger." This was eating him up inside. He knew that either Chase or Ashley could turn into him and John had had the sick feeling that it would eventually be Chase. Ashley was too afraid that if she killed she would get away with it and no one would suspect her. Chase was so conflicted with his family curse of being monsters already, and then her father's added rage and blood lust. He had hoped, prayed, that it wouldn't touch them. And now it was manifesting in Chase; his sweet damaged Chase who needed so much time to heal and never found a way.

"Are you sure?"

"Very, and I need your help." John turned to his eldest child and pulled her into his arms while continuing. "Chase might try to harm herself. Please watch out for her."

Ashley pushed away from him and shouted, "Why is she more important to you than I am?"

"I love you both…"

"No, you love Chase more because she is…"

"She will not become the monster I am. I refuse to let her." John snapped if only to stop Ashley was feeling hate towards her sister. He knew it would be nothing more than a quick flash of anger, and then it would die, but Ashley would still feel guilt for it. John turned to the wooden door and punched it as hard as he could to head off the anger rising in him. He sighed, "At one time your mother and I talked about the children we would have." John had to take a turn from Ashley's accusation of him loving Chase more. "Helen always wanted our first child to be named 'Ashley'. It's was my mother's middle name."

Ashley quickly deflated after his change of subject. She didn't want to know the answer. She didn't want to know how much her father loved her. The answer may break her heart. "Why did mom name Chase… Chase?"

"It was my idea at the time. We always wanted two children or more. Helen could name our first born; I got to name the second. Chase Druitt had a nice ring to it." John turned to Ashley and lowered his head.

"But you screwed it up." Ashley seethed. He was the reason their family was broken. But then they were all to blame to some extent.

"I had no intention of losing my mind, being drowned in anger, and wanting to shed the blood of the innocent." John answered. His words were meant to be angry and sad at the same time. Because of his rage, his hate, he lost his family and the woman he loved the most. No matter what he did now, it couldn't make up for the wrong he had done to Ashley. "If Chase is turning into what I was then it will start with black outs, time gaps in her memory. I want you to watch her very carefully. Ashley I trust you to do this, to protect your sister. She will need you right up till the end. What was the saying, 'Together for ever.'?" John recited and watched the truth of his words hit his daughter before he left her to her thoughts.

Ashley watched him go and felt better. He was still her father and she had to remember that. If their family was to survive then they had to unify, become a indestructible force together. If not then they were going to be destroyed. For a few more minutes she would linger up here and watch the city the way her mother did, just a little while loner. Then she would go and do as her father asked. She would watch out for her sister. Having another Ripper loose on the world was bad news. But Ashley couldn't believe that is was Chase, not her sweet little sister. Tears welled in her eyes, but she wouldn't let them fall, couldn't let them fall. Nothing was as hard to believe as the fact that Chase would be the Ripper. Ashley felt a small pang of relief that it wouldn't be her and then the guilt washed over her. It would be better for them to go back to a time when things worked. If Ashley had one wish, she wished that she could go back before the Cabal, before her father reappeared in her life, and just be Ashley Magnus.

**CHASE'S BEDROOM:**

Chase sat on the edge of her bed and tried to remember what had happened to her in the last two hours. The last thing she remembered was hearing her mother was in the infirmary and then it was a blur. She was being embraced by James but other than that, nothing. Something was wrong with her and she was getting scared that it was the darkness, her rage, taking over. What if what was happening to her was what James had feared all along. He had told her veiled details of her other nature and told her to be careful. But now she could taste nothing except the boiling rage fill her. Getting up she looked at herself in the mirror and saw her eyes had gone from solid blue to swirling red and silver. The last time her eyes changed the red had been intermingled with the blue, but not now. Chase was truly in trouble. As she continued to stare at her reflection her hand reached up to trace the scar on her right cheek; almost identical to the one her father had. Chase was scared she was going to turn into the new generation Ripper; truly terrified. It never bothered her to take a life when she or her family was threatened, but she would not take a life for the shear pleasure of it. That's what being the Ripper meant, destroying life.

A light knocking drew her attention away from the mirror and to the door. It was either Henry, her father, or her sister. Chase walked calmly to the door while trying to get her eyes to stay one color, preferably blue. Opening the door Chase as not prepared to see James standing on the other side. He looked at her and moved past her without invitation.

James hadn't expected to see Chase's eyes the eerie red/silver combination when she had opened her door. He had come to talk to her, but now he was concerned for her mental health. James had tried not to focus on the scar on her cheek, the scar John bore as well. Things were escalating within Chase's mind and now was not the time for things to be going out of control. He turned to her and asked, "Are you alright?"

Chase drew in a shaky breath and said, "No, I'm really not. I have a two hour gap in my memory." One thing was for certain, she could always tell James the things that were troubling her and this was one of those things. "I thought you said this wouldn't happen to me?"

"I said there was a possibility that it wouldn't happen," James sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He had heard whisperings of the Cabal even before Helen had angered them. He had suspected that once the Cabal had decided to go after Magnus that they would go after her daughters, and he had wanted to make sure that Chase was ready for that. James had made her into a deadly weapon of stealth and power, as well as being a thief. There had been a good chance that Chase could take on Druitt's lust for killing; she had shown such a predilection in her training.

"Why now? You said that as I was training that I would gain control and that I wouldn't lose control over my beast, but now I assume you were trying to keep the bloodlust in check?" Chase seethed. She was tired of being everyone's damned lab rat.

"I'm truly sorry my dear. I…"

"You're Sherlock Holmes, you see beyond what mere mortals can see. I know you knew this was coming!" Chase raged and screamed all the while trying to deny who she was becoming.

"Yes, I had my suspicions, but they were 50/50. It could have been Ashley to be the next Ripper; not you!" James shouted and then let his shoulders slump. It would do nothing to start shouting at Chase. She was going through a nightmare; a living nightmare.

"I can't be like this!" Chase shouted and stalked to the open balcony doors where she tried to keep her tears from falling.

"I know," James came to her, wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. When she had come to him, James had tried to be as much of a father as a mentor to her. It was the least he could do since John hadn't been around.

"How long until…," Chase cleared her throat and then continued, "I lose myself?" It was as if she was asking how long she had to live. Truth was she would rather die than become the monster her father was.

**INFIRMARY****:**

Nikola lingered outside the open to door to the infirmary as he wanted John sitting beside an almost comatose Helen. It would have been better for her to be in a coma, but it was also good that she was just sleeping. So far he had not found anything that would yield and answer as to why she was asleep. Still he couldn't stop staring at them; at Helen and John. Even when they were enemies they had a connection, a bond. It was something he never had with her; just friendship. That contented Nikola for now, until he could manipulate his way into her heart once again.

John held Helen's hand and just wanted her all the while waiting for Nikola to decide whether he wanted to stay outside the door being a voyeur or if he was going to come in and let his ego have free reign. As much as it galled John he knew that Nikola cared, loved, Helen in his own twisted way. Where john had no say in harming Helen, n control over his actions, Nikola had willingly put Helen in harms way with no regards for her safety and he dared to call it love. But he also knew that Helen would be hurt should something dire actually happen to the pain in the ass vampire.

"Did you want something Nikola?" John seethed.

"I just thought I would tell you that you look ridiculous sitting there."

"Where else would I be? I could be down in the lab pretending to know more than I actually do… Oh wait that's you." John shot back.

Nikola chuckled slightly and said, "And then it would be Helen calling us children."

"Yes, she would." John smiled.

"We'll figure out what's wrong with her soon enough John." Nikola assured and for the first time his assurances were real and not just fake sentiment.

**NEWCITY:**

Nigel walked the blinding streets of Helen's city as people walked by him, saw right through him. He was used to being invisible, had to cope with it since the formation of the FIVE and now the coping had poisoned his mind and made him hate his closest friends. In an act to make Watson pay Griffin resurrected him from the grave with Nikola's blood, slightly modified but Nikola's half vampire blood none the less. When he had seen Helen at Oxford he had fallen for her, just the same way Tesla and Watson had, but she had chosen Druitt who in turn had broken her heart by becoming Jack the Ripper. Nigel knew he couldn't threaten Helen outright, so he had to take her off the playing field for a while he went after Ashley and Druitt as his abnormal helper went after Chase.

"I hope you know what you're doing."

Nigel turned and looked into the inhuman eyes of Dawn St. John. the only of tiger abnormal in the world and he was Nigel's ace in the hole against Helen's precious tiger daughter. "Of course I know what I am doing; now all you have to do is go and distract that tigress of yours while I get into the Sanctuary."

"Fine, it's this way." Dawn headed down a side street and up a block before he started working his way over to the Sanctuary when he could feel Chase in torment. He never understood this link he had to her but it was his and his alone. As far as he knew Chase had not imprinted on anyone else and if that was the case the claiming would be easy, but if she had another man then Dawn would fight him, win, and claim Chase the way she should be; by him.

**CHASE'S BEDROOM:**

Chase had asked James how long before she would essentially stop being herself and for ten minutes he hadn't responded. It was starting to irritate her and she didn't like to be irritated. If he kept the silence up any longer then she was going to start growling and growling was in poor manners, or so James had taught her when she had been forced to go to dinners with heads of state that were visiting the UK sanctuary. As a Magnus she was expected to attend, but back then the part of her that was a Druitt screamed out that such social niceties were boring. Looking back on it now Chase could see that James was trying to tame her, calm the inner monster with chains of society. "Would you answer me already?" Chase stomped her foot like a petulant child who was being ignored.

"I'm thinking." James answered and looked past Chase to the view beyond.

"No, you're avoiding." For the moment she was calm and rational, but how long would that last before she was a raving, blood thirsty lunatic? Chase was beginning to feel real fear.

James turned from her and thought back to London, to the summer she had come to him confused and in need of guidance. "It could be today, it could be five years from now. There literally is no way to tell." He took a deep breath, felt his lungs expand, felt his whole body strong and able. James Watson was a man again and not some old dog dependant on a skeletal brace for life.

"The black outs are just the beginning aren't they?"

"I'm afraid so," James turned to Chase and was looking at him, tears visible in her eyes. He knew what was going through her mind, John had told James the same fears over one hundred years ago.

"Why can't this happen to someone else, in someone else's family?" Chase asked. Her voice was low.

"You're just that lucky," James tried for levity but he knew how grave the situation was. He knew how much danger Chase was in from herself.

"Don't tell my dad." Chase pleaded.

"I…" James knew he should go straight to John, tell his old friend of his suspicions, and try to stem the problem before it started, but seeing chase, the pain in her eyes, held him in place.

"Please?" Chase heard her voice break. Her father had enough on his mind right now. He didn't need to worry about her turning into a homicidal maniac.

"All right," James relented and once again welcomed Chase into a fatherly embrace.

**INFIRMARY:**

She was still asleep and for the time she looked to be fine. But he wanted her to wake so he could look into her eyes and smile at her. John just wanted her to wake. Moving closer to her John too Helen's hand and kissed her knuckles over and over while praying for her to wake up. Too many things were going on at once. If he didn't try so hard the rage would over take him and he would have killed Griffin when he had the chance. Of course he could have let Chase do it; make his daughter what he used to be, a monster. But he wouldn't curse her that way, couldn't curse her. Nikola had left twenty minutes ago leaving him alone with Helen. For once John was grateful to Nikola for not being an arrogant bastard.

Taking her hand in his again John brought the back of her hand to his lips. Their world was falling apart and their oldest friend had turned against them. Griffin was poisoned by hate; it was an emotion that John knew all too well. Where John had no choice in his madness, Nigel did. Nigel let his power rule his mind. Being invisible had its advantages and its drawbacks. But it also proved that John was not the only one to be driven insane by the Source Blood and it power. He should be happy about that, but he wasn't.

**ASHLEY'S ROOM:**

Ashley came through the door of her bedroom and stopped when she saw Jax lounging on her bed half asleep. For a minute she watched the gentle rise and fall of his chest, watched the way his ribs expanded. He was truly beautiful and he was all hers. Every night he was in her bed and yet she hadn't shared her bed with him in the way she knew Chase shared with Henry. Bu granted Chase had been in love with Henry ever since she had been ten. So for them taking that step hadn't been a difficult choice; they just had to find the time. Ashley's biggest problem was trust. Yes, she trusted Jax to a point, but could she trust him with her heart? He had been on a mission to kill off the council of the Cabal and he had dragged her sister into it while he worked with her father's brother. Was he really the man she wanted to keep close to her? Could she keep him?

"I can feel you watching me. Either come to bed or…" Jax opened his eyes as he was about to deliver the or, but Ashley seemed sad, angry, and worried all at the same time. "What's the matter?" he sat up and moved to the edge of the bed.

"Nothing," Ashley shook her head and sat beside him. She should tell him about her father's fears about chase? Or should she tell Jax about how she just wished that she could run away from it all? Ashley loved her mother, her home, and her job. But sometimes it got to be too much and she just wanted it to stop. More than that she didn't get why Chase was so special, why Chase had to be protected more than she did.

"Is it about Chase?" Jax asked and immediately wished he hadn't. Anger ignited through the room and it was all radiating from Ashley.

"Why is everyone so concerned about Chase? Why is she so special?" Ashley screamed and then felt foolish. She shouldn't feel this way towards her sister. Anger was this family's curse and Ashley wasn't immune to it.


	9. Chapter 9

Summary: The Druitt/Magnus family is divided, scattered through the world. But another force will rise to bring the family back together and test the resolve of the network.

Disclaimer: I own nothing of sanctuary or the characters... except for Chase.

Rating: M

**RISING TIDES:**

**HENRY'S LAB:**

Will had come back from his jaunt into the police station. Cavanaugh had called him in to look at some footage. What he had seen had shocked him, but not enough to give Chase away. The first video was of chase talking to the victim, but the next video was of the man in a dark alley where it showed him being killed. Will had talked Cavanaugh into giving him copies so he could better examine what happened. Now Will had come to Henry. "Hey, I got something I want you to take a look at." Will said and handed the disc over to his werewolf friend.

"What is this?" Henry asked as he inserted the disc into his computer and keyed up the video. But he had a feeling he already knew what it was. Chase had told him that a homicide detective had come here earlier to question her about a murder. Henry knew that Chase was no killer. Yes she had taken life, but not in cold blood. It had always been in defense of her family and her home.

"Something Cavanaugh asked me to look at." Will answered. Looking at the murder again Will had a sudden thought. "Can you switch the video to infrared?"

"Yeah, give me a minute," Henry replied.

Standing by Will watched at the picture turned from the dimly lit alley to a range of red and blues and greens. In the shadows behind the victim another form, a male, emerged as well. The man was wielding the knife that was viciously cutting the throat of the now deceased Carter Slade. Will had never gotten used to looking at footage of a murder, even one that implicated an abnormal. He as even more unsettled at seeing the body heat from an invisible assassin. Will had a hunch as to who it might be; Nigel Griffin, the only other person who could turn invisible.

**THE MAIN LAB:**

James had left Chase to her thoughts while he came back down to the lab to watch Nikola try and figure out what was in the vile. Of course being the brilliant mind that he was, James had discerned what was in it already, but he felt that Nikola should discover the answer for himself since Tesla claimed to be a genius.

"If you are going to sit there, the least you could do is help." Nikola seethed. He already knew James knew what was in the vile and what was coursing through Helen's veins. It infuriated him that Watson wouldn't help. No, James was content to laze about and watch him do all the pointless work when he could simply give the answer. Of course Nikola was too proud to ask.

"Where would the fun be in watching you follow the wrong conclusions?" James asked. He was enjoying his new lease on life and he intended to have fun.

"You could share the answer since out friend happens to be in the sick bay, possibly dying, while you are just sitting there."

"Why would I deny you the chance to be Helen's savior?" James asked.

"Because you are that psycho's best friend," Nikola motioned up the stairs as John descended them.

"Nikola," James rose from his seat and moved in closer to the vampire intent on changing the subject. "If I didn't know any better I would say that you are starting to get some grey hair just at your temple." James made a spectacle of squinting and angling his head to try and see the imaginary grey better. If anything it would serve as a blow to Nikola's vanity and send the Vampire in search of a mirror while affording James a little quiet.

Nikola scoffed, "I do not. I'm not as aged as you are." But still the little voice of his vanity screamed to go and make sure. As much as he knew he should be helping Helen, Nikola knew James already had the answer. Even he wasn't too proud to say that Watson was smarter than he was. Stopping what he was doing Nikola strode away finally giving in to his vanity.

John had stopped on the last step to watch the byplay between James and Tesla. At first he wanted to reach for anger that James was distracting Tesla from finding out what was wrong with Helen, but then he knew his best friend and knew that James already had the answer. "Shouldn't you be helping him find out what is wrong with Helen rather than torturing him about possible grey hair?"

"Torturing his vanity is so much fun though." James stated as he laughed.

"You do realize that of the four of us, you are the only one with grey hair." John pointed out motioning at the grey at James's temples.

"Yes, well it's dignified. I thought you came down here to inquire about Helen and I already know what is wrong with her. She is merely under the influence of a powerful sedative." James once again took his seat and watched as John did the same.

"Can't we use something to wake her up?" John asked all thoughts of torturing Nikola out of his mind. He wanted to see Helen awake and not confined to a bed.

"No, if we introduced a stimulant a whole host of other things would occur. It's best to let her sleep it off." James clapped John on the shoulder and tried not to notice the tension in his friend.

"Griffin went out of his way to temporarily eliminate Helen. But then again he was always good with his chemistry." John mused running his hand through his hair. "You're not surprised to learn that it is Griffin who has become our latest enemy?"

"I am surprised that he would take this course of action, but not surprised to learn that it is him. As you said he was good with his concoctions. I never would have believed that he would be able to bring someone back to life, let alone with Nikola's half vampire blood." James said. He was still working out what would have driven Nigel to this course. He knew why Nikola was constantly at odds with John and by extension James himself; it was Helen. But Griffin had always been the quiet one, never rocking the boat, and never causing discord. What could have changed him?

"Why would he take Helen off the board, if only for a while?" John asked

"Maybe he doesn't want to hurt her?" James suggested. No one wanted to hurt Helen, none of the Five would dare hurt her.

John could sense the course of James thoughts; he as thinking the same thing. Only John knew, partially, why Nigel was acting at the villain. It was because John held Helen's affections, held her love. At one time they had been the closest of friend, and Nikola had been there. What hurt the most was seeing the hate in Nigel's eyes. There world was gone, but they remained. It would have been nice if the same could be said of their bond of friendship. Nothing would be the same between them. John had the feeling that Nigel would come into the sanctuary next. If that was the case then they had to be ready for someone who could turn invisible. The only one who could see him was Chase.

**FRONT GATES:**

Dawn came up to the massive gates of the Sanctuary. It was larger than he thought it would be, but beyond the gates he could sense Chase. She was the only reason that he was allied with Griffin. He couldn't care what happened to everyone else. Dawn only wanted Chase. Looking around he hit the buzzer and waited.

"What do you want?" A gravely voice growled out of the speaker box.

"I'm here to see Chase Magnus." Dawn replied and waited for a response.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Dawn. I'm a friend of hers from London." He thought that would gain him admittance, but the gates stayed close. What was taking them so long? Hitting the comm. button again Dawn said, "I want to speak to Chase."

**INSIDE:**

Chase was walking by when she heard the name Dawn filter through the security speakers. Stopping she was drawn to the security office where the Big guy sat looking at someone who shouldn't be alive. "I want to speak to Chase." It was certainly his voice. Going to the screen chase put her face within and inch of the monitor, right over the Big Guy's shoulder. "How long has he been standing there?" She asked.

"About ten minutes."

"I want to talk to Chase." Dawn's voice rose from the speakers again.

"Persistent isn't he?"

"Yes," Chase hit the comm. button to reply. "I'm coming out." Then she left the Big guy in the office. Only he didn't stay there. He followed her out to the front gates, for which she was grateful.

Just outside the front door Chase could see that it was indeed Dawn was standing at the gates waiting. He looked healthy for someone who should have been decapitated. She still refused to believe that he had been alive even after her mother had told her that the head was fake. There was too much of his blood coating the head. Getting the gates Chase was glad to see that Dawn backed up a pace when his eyes rested on Big Foot. "You look pretty good for a dead man." Chase mused. She was trying to put the last few hours out of her mind. Chase didn't want to think about the chances of her turning into the monster that her father had been. It would kill Chase to lose her family.

"I don't know what you have been told, but I was never dead." Dawn reached his hands through the bars, reached out to her." Feel me and you will know that I am still very warm." Dawn's part was only to distract Chase. If she was focusing on him then Griffin could get his revenge and then life would move on. Dawn was hoping that he could get Chase out of the Sanctuary, away from the storm that was about to happen.

Chase was about to reach out, was about to take his hand when she felt Big Foot's hand on her shoulder stopping her movements. Moving from him Chase hit the button that would open the gate. She allowed him entrance into the Sanctuary. But there was this nagging feeling that she had just made a fatal error in allowing him into her home.

"Are you sure about this?" Big Foot asked in a low tone. He wasn't sure about this abnormal that had walked through the front gates. Yes, he claimed to know Chase, but there was something off about him.

"This is a Sanctuary." Chase replied. If you had to watch a potential enemy, what better place that was a literal fortress. Any room in the Sanctuary could be turned into a cell or holding area with the flick of a switch. If Dawn showed any signs of betrayal at all then all Chase would have to do is put whatever section Dawn was in into lock down and he would be contained until she could deal with him. And if she had to she would kill him.

**THE MAIN LAB:**

John and James sat side by side waiting for Nikola to return. For the moment john was at ease with he knowledge that Helen would be fine; she was just sleeping. They were going to tell Nikola what was wrong with Helen. There was no need to be unnaturally cruel to him. After all he claimed to care for Helen. "You could always say he has crow's feet," John immediately turned his head to contemplate James's statement. He realized that his best fried was sincere.

"Why would I say that?" John asked.

"To torment him," James answered and offered his friend a wicked smile.

"This new lease on life agrees with you." John stated and laughed. James was right, if for nothing else John would suggest wrinkles just to torment Nikola's vanity.

"Yes, it does. Considering my last memory was of dank, dusty walls beneath a ruined city, I would say my spirits are slightly elevated." James shot back.

John laid his hand on James's shoulder and said, "I'm glad your back."

"So am I," James replied turning his head to look at John's profile. It was good to see Druitt back to his former self; the easy smile and the quick wit.

**ASHLEY'S ROOM:**

Ashley stood leaning against the wall looking out the large floor to ceiling window that gave her the view of the city. Jax was sitting on the edge of the bed watching her and she found she didn't want to turn to him. She had exploded and felt deep jealousy that Chase was being treated like the important one. Ashley knew it was childish of her but she couldn't stop the feelings from engulfing her. More than anything Ashley wanted things to go back to the way they were after Dana had been taken care of. "Why do I feel like a bad person?"

"You're not. Your family focuses on chase because she is as fragile as a blade of grass despite her tough outer shell." Jax assured getting off the bed to come to her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his chin on the top of her head looking at her sad eyes in the reflection of the glass. Just at the corner of her eyes was a strange, almost translucent blue ringing her eyes. Moving to stand in front of her Jax rubbed the edge of his thumb under her eye and wiped away the liquid.

"What are you…?" Ashley started to ask when she saw what was marring the flesh of his thumb. She had been staring at her reflection and the view of the city and she had noticed that gunk under her eyes.

"We should get you to the lab. You and Chase," Jax took her hand and pulled her out of her room.

**MAIN LAB:**

Jax and Ashley walked into the main lab to see the former Ripper and Watson sitting together laughing. Jax let go of Ashley's hand and went over to the two Victorian gentlemen to get their attention. "I think there is something wrong with Ashley."

"I'm fine." Ashley stated but stopped protesting when her father turned around and his eyes held the same translucent blue around his eyes. Looking to Jax she said, "Go find Chase." Jax nodded and as he passed Ashley he kissed the side of her head quickly before leaving.

James looked at john and then he studied Ashley. They both had the same blue around their eyes and he would lay smart money that Chase did as well. What was happening to them? James tried to think beyond what he could see but he couldn't. All he could do was worry about his best friend and his two daughters who were his family.

**FRONT ENTRANCE:**

Chase and the Big Guy escorted Dawn inside. She still wasn't sure about having him here, but this was a Sanctuary and it was open to anyone and anything that needed a safe haven. Fatigue ate at her mind as every step grew harder and harder to make. Biting back a growl Chase fought through it. 'Perfect, after months of not sleeping now all of a sudden I wasn't to fall down dead and sleep for a week.' Chase thought. It was enough to make her want to growl like the animal she was. Then again Henry would say she wasn't an animal, that she was special and it was a good thing to be an abnormal.

"This place is bigger than I thought it would be." Dawn said. His ears perked up when his voice echoed around him.

"It's a converted church." Chase replied and winced at the sound of her own British accent coming out. She hadn't meant for it to show again.

"Wow," Dawn whistled but stopped quickly when the hairy muscle at chase's side turned to growl at him.

Chase smiled and then turned to tell Dawn not to worry when she rubbed at her left eye and her thumb came away a translucent blue. With her right index finger she rubbed at her right eye and it too came away blue. "Great, just one more thing to go wrong with my screwed up DNA." Chase muttered.

"What is it?" The Big guy cupped Chase's face and turned her so she was looking him in the eyes. "You should go to the lab."

"Yeah, guess I should." Chase lowered her voice, "Don't let him out of your sight." She had a bad feeling that things were going to go very wrong very quickly. If she wasn't able to watch Dawn then she wanted someone she trusted watching him. Big Foot was her mother's trusted man servant and he had practically raised Chase. He was the first man Chase would trust.

Big foot grunted in agreement. He didn't trust the new arrival at all and it was as well that Chase didn't trust him either.

**MAIN LAB:**

"Ok, what new pain in the ass thing is going on…?" Chase snarled as she came down the stairs. She had been about to say 'with me' until she saw her sister and her father. They both had the same gunk under their eyes as she had under hers. "This day is just full of fun surprises."

"Come and sit down." James ordered and pointed to the chair next to Ashley.

Chase came over and fell into the chair. This was just one more thing to go wrong with her. But it wasn't just her this time; it affected her father and her sister. Maybe this was something that could be cured and then her rage would be gone. "You too huh?" Chase asked her sister.

"Just one more thing to happen to us. Aren't we lucky?" Ashley dead panned as she whispered to her sister. It made her wonder why she was down here and what was going on with her family yet again. The last thing she remembered was watching New City and then Jax brought her down here. Maybe the black outs weren't just happening to Chase. What if it wasn't Chase who wasn't going to be the Ripper? It could be Ashley.


	10. Chapter 10

Summary: The Druitt/Magnus family is divided, scattered through the world. But another force will rise to bring the family back together and test the resolve of the network.

Disclaimer: I own nothing of sanctuary or the characters... except for Chase.

Rating: M

**RISING TIDES:**

Henry had switched all the cameras to infrared on a hunch but the cameras couldn't capture every section, every floor of the Sanctuary. For that he would need Chase or Jax. They could see in body heat, even the body heat of a person who could become invisible. It was more than that though. His wolf instincts were gong out of control. Henry felt that impending danger was about to hit his home once again. Just when he thought that they would have a moment's peace, things went horribly out of control. That was why he was no on his way to the Main Lab to enlist Chase in her help to search the Sanctuary, if for nothing else to put his mind at rest. But as soon as he hit the stairs the first thing he heard was arguing from three distinct voices.

"You've hated him ever since you got back! And now you're defending him?" Chase raged. Anger was blinding her and she was lashing out at the nearest person, or people who happened to be her father and sister.

"You've loved him ever since you came home! And now you're attacking him!" Ashley shouted in return. She was only reacting to the anger that was coming off her sister and the anger she could feel coming form her father. But her father seemed unfazed by the anger. Having over a hundred years worth of practice was something to be commented on.

"Enough from the both of you! Ashley, go to one side of the lab. Chase you go to the other side. Now!" Druitt ordered. He had no idea how Helen dealt with them when they were screaming and shouting at one another.

Henry watched as Chase and Ashley moved to their designated sides while Druitt ran his hand through his hair. One thing was for sure, Henry did not envy him dealing with the two sisters when they were angry. No man alive would survive their anger. Watson moved over to his friend while Tesla walked over to Ashley. From where Henry stood he could see light blue tracks dripping down Ashley and Chase's cheeks. Momentarily ignoring the two in the center Henry went to Chase. She had her back to him and her hands fisted on one of the empty cells. "What's going on?" Henry put his hand on her shoulder to get her to turn to him.

Almost like magic Chase's anger abated marginally at the sound of Henry's voice. Then his hand was on her shoulder and she felt his warmth flood through her. Turning to him she tried to wipe away what ever the blue stuff was that was coming out of her eyes, but to no avail. As her anger lingered so did the blue fluid. That alone was enough to make her angry even more. "I don't know this time. At least it's not just me. This time it's Ashley and dad who are afflicted as well."

"This is…" Henry let his fingers hover over the blue stuff while he tried to move past the fact that her eyes were swirling red and blue and continued, "Different."

"Can you do me a favor?" Chase asked. James was keeping a watchful eye on her so there was no way she would be able to leave the lab, not until they knew what was wrong with her.

"I actually came to ask if you would help do a sweep of the Sanctuary, but that wouldn't be possible huh?" Henry gave her a lop sided grin. It was a grin he knew she loved so much. On more than one night spent awake Chase would lie next to him and just trace his lips while he smiled at her. That was when she wasn't tonguing his nipple piercings just to make him lose his mind and fill his body with lust and wanting.

"No, James watches my every move." Chase sighed and tried to quell the rest of her anger. "Would you go to the infirmary and check on mom. I just want to make sure that what ever this is," Chase motioned to her eyes, "That it hasn't affected her."

"Sure," Henry glanced at the others and then asked, "What about the sweep. This may sound, well weird, but I have a feeing something bad is going to happen and I mean soon." Finally he gave voice to that little nagging voice that had been shrieking in his ear all day, well week. He just wanted things to go back to normal, as normal as anything when you lived and worked in the Sanctuary.

"Find Jax and ask him. If he can't do what you want him to then come back and find me, which I won't be hard to find as I will still be stuck down here." Chase answered and raised her voice on the last few words. She wasn't sure if he could do what Henry was asking. So far Chase was the only one among them that could see body heat. It was slightly odd and just the tiniest bit annoying. But one thing was assured she would always be needed.

Once again the werewolf smiled and then turned to leave. But before he did so he asked, "What was all the fighting about?" Hearing Chase so angry made him hurt. The Magnus family was so far beyond him that he sometimes felt as if he were on the outside of a pane of glass looking in on them. Henry was a werewolf, and some days he hated that very fact. But looking at Chase, feeling her against him, loving her, made him feel apart of something, apart of a family

"Nothing, just stupid stuff." She shook her head while placing her hand over his heart. It was reassuring to feel the steady _thump thump_ of his strong heart; his wolf's heart, beneath her hand. Henry smiled at chase and then left her. She wasn't sure what she wanted more, her family around her or Henry. Seeing as she didn't have a choice Chase turned her back on the center of the lab and tried to calm down.

James watched as John surveyed the tiny moment between Chase and Henry. From his vantage point it looked to James that John was finally accepting the relationship between the werewolf and his daughter. James may have been out of the world for a while but stay in a room with them for two minutes and you would know they were together, they were in love. "We'll figure this out John." James whispered and touched his friend on the shoulder. That was the best he could do for Druitt. It was the best he could do for himself. It was the best he could do for Helen.

John looked at James and gave him a sad smile, "Not soon enough. I fear if this goes on for too much longer, my family will not survive it." John was so sick and tired of Fate treating his family like a game of chance. How much pain, separation, and danger could one family survive? John knew he could take a lot of punishment, he even deserved most of it, but Chase and Ashley were innocents. They had barely had lives to live before death and pain touched them. It was torment enough that Jack the Ripper was their sire, but did they have to suffer the same affliction that now presented. John's rage was his own demon, and it should not have been passed to his children. That was one sin he would never truly atone for and he knew it.

"What ever is coming out of their eyes is electro chemical in nature. And just let me say that this is just disgusting." Nikola interrupted. He didn't much care for the brotherly love that James and John were displaying. When John wasn't near Helen, he and James were in their own little world. It was quite sickening to the Vampire.

"No one asked you coffin bait!" Chase shouted from across the room. She paced back and forth with her barely contained rage. Across the Lab Ashley mirrored her movements. Some how Chase sensed that Ashley was counting as high as she could in hopes the anger would abate. Counting would do no good for the tiger lurking in her blood. The animal inside of her hated being told to stay in one place and the rage she was feeling was making her climb the walls. She just wanted this over and soon before she lost all grips on her sanity and became the new Ripper.

"I'm trying to save your life…. Kitten…. I would be a little grateful for my genius if I was you!" Nikola shouted back. And for the first time in his long life he actually shrank back from the glare John was giving him. No matter who you were, you never messed with a parent's child. Nikola knew better, but sometimes he really didn't care. He only cared about Helen. If something terrible happened to her daughter's then she would never forgive him, she would never forgive any of them. Being in Helen's good graces was the only thing that kept him in a semi civil state where James and John were concerned.

**MAIN ENTRANCE:**

Griffin had come in with Dawn; hidden right behind the only other tiger abnormal in existence and Helen's younger daughter had sensed nothing. There was no way she and Ashley were as powerful as the rest of them were led to believe. Had the young Ripper used even and ounce of her gift she would have taken his head before he stepped inside the gates of her home. But seeing as he now was roaming free and unencumbered Griffin was feeling very confident. Nigel made sure to keep to what shadows he could just as a precaution.

Griffin was about to turn a corner when he heard someone coming around the same corner. Tucking himself tight against the wall Nigel waited and looked on as Helen's pet werewolf rushed around the corner. Ending his leisurely stroll Griffin followed him. He would have time later to block them all off from one another while Griffin went after James, John, and Nikola. For now he wanted to see where the young man was headed.

Henry felt as if he as being followed, but when he turned to look behind him there was no one there. There was no sound to give away the presence of an intruder, and there wasn't even a scent. This was one of the very few times that his werewolf abilities were of no use to him. Putting such thoughts out of him mind Henry hurried along and went to the infirmary to check on Magnus. As much as Chase worried, Henry wanted to make sure the same thing was not happening to her.

Opening the door quietly Henry slipped inside and over to the Doc's side. There she was sleeping peacefully and without the blue liquid coming from her eyes. That at least was one worry down. He heaved a heavy sigh and dropped into the chair by her bed. Henry took her hand and whispered, "I sure wish you were awake right now. Things are falling apart between Chase and Ashley." Looking around Henry made sure there was no one lingering in the doorway before he put against her hand and let a few tears descended down his cheeks. Magnus was the only family he knew and if he was to lose her… Henry didn't want to finish that thought. Magnus had been through a lot of tough time and she some how managed to come out on top, always. He knew that she would beat whatever was happening to her.

**MAIN LAB:**

James worked with Nikola in utter silence. It was far better than listening to the vampire's snide remarks about John. There was only so much that Watson could tolerate from Tesla, and now his nerves were wearing thin. Looking in the microscope James saw faint electrical impulses being given off by the blue liquid. James switched slides and looked at the sample from Ashley, saw the same thing, and then looked at the slide he took from John. All three had the same affliction and yet it wasn't contagious to the rest of them. What was it that John, Ashley, and Chase all had in common besides blood? John could teleport as could Chase. But what of Ashley, did she share this gift with her father and sister? It would explain the same 'illness' between just the three of them. John could turn his body into energy and back again at will. Could it be that this disease only affects beings like him, and by extension Chase and Ashley?

For an instant James allowed himself to hope that whatever plagued John was the main cause for his madness all those years ago. He wasn't the only one who would hope for this, Helen would as well if she was conscious. But this would be too much to ask for, hope for, and it would be too easy to believe that this was the one reason for his rage and his hatred. Still that did not keep the insidious seed of hope from being planted in James mind. If this was the case, then all they would need to do was find a way to free John, Ashley, and Chase from this and then they would all be free. Leaving his seat James went to talk to Ashley. He had to hang onto this one small shred of hope that he could redeem John and his life time of anger. Not to mention save the two girls he loved dearly as his family.

Nikola saw James heading over in John's direction and decided to waylay him. For the last few hours he had been feeling his concentration wane due to his lack of medication to keep his blood lust in check. If he was going to save the psycho and Helen's daughters then he would have to have a clear head, and that meant getting James to mix up a batch of his medication. In his state Nikola wouldn't even be able to get the proportions right. He might end up poisoning himself and that would not be good for anyone. "Let's convene in private. Nikola whispered taking James upper arm so he could guide him to the stairs.

"Nikola, what is going on?" James asked, but he had a sinking feeling he knew what was wrong with the Vampire. It was when they reached the elevator that Nikola chose to answer.

"My concentration is non existent for I am very hungry." Nikola admitted. He felt drained and he was in no mood to be the pain in the ass everyone accused him of being. All that mattered was getting his medication and not feeding on blood. But blood was calling to him and as te minutes ticked by he was being seduced even more by the sirens song that only he could hear. It was frustrating and infuriating. Nikola wanted to feed but he made a vow never to taste human blood.

"Have you taken your medication?" James questioned. But he knew Nikola to be faithful to the medicine that kept him from turning on humans. If Nikola went too much longer they would have an even bigger problem on their hands. A blood crazed vampire was nothing to trifle with, especially if it was Nikola. James was going to help him if only to prevent a massacre.

"No, and it has been far too long since the serum has been in my veins." Nikola responded, leaning again the wall of the elevator. He finally allowed the exhaustion and the hunger to show on his face and in his eyes. It galled him that he was allowing Watson to see his weakness, but Nikola was so very hungry and he was afraid that he would feed from any of the humans, and he used that term loosely, around him. Nikola made a vow long ago never to feast on blood and he was going to keep that vow, even if it killed him.

"Oh, Nikola," James felt the first stirrings of remorse for the annoying, pain in the ass, vampire. He couldn't imagine the pain Nikola must be going through. "We'll get you to the infirmary and get you something that will help."

**MAIN LAB:**

Henry hadn't found Jax anywhere in the Sanctuary and thought that maybe the lion had gone out on the grounds. So he was heading back to the lab to get Chase's help. For the moment it seemed as if she was going to be staying in her current state. At least she would relish the chance to get out of the anger filled atmosphere. Ten minutes down there before had Henry nearly shifting to his other form. That was something he never wanted to do. The werewolf in him reacted to anger most of all and it was the one emotion that he could live without.

When he stepped off the last step Henry saw Ashley and Druitt talking quietly and Chase sitting by herself playing her PSP. She never went anywhere without that thing. Henry chuckled to himself as he came closer. With his heightened hearing he could hear Chase telling some stupid mother frakker to die. He was so funny that he had to laugh bringing attention to himself. As it stood the level of anger seemed to be far less than it had before when he had come down here. Rather than pay attention to the others he went over to Chase and tapped her on the shoulder, "How would you like to go search for an invisible guy who had so far stayed out of the sight of my camera modifications?"

"It would sound like Heaven." Chase answered as she shut off her game and stuck the hand held console in her pocket. It would be worth it just to get away from her father and sister for a while. She loved them, she did, but right now there was just too much of them. Before going to the stairs she asked, "Did someone lose Clara?"

Henry paused at that. "No, she's still in England . We think that who ever killed that Slade guy may make a play for the Sanctuary."

"That's interesting. The only other guy I know of who could turn invisible was Nigel Griffin, but he's dead." Chase supplied. Though, she had a sneaking suspicion that during her two hour memory black out she had learned otherwise.

John was talking quietly with Ashley when he heard Nigel's name being mentioned. The last he had seen of his once old friend was when Chase had her hands around his throat. Certainly Nigel would not be so foolish as to come here. Excusing himself he went over to Chase and Henry and asked. "Do you think Griffin would come here?"

"Why would he? As far as I know he's dead." Chase answered. She felt puzzled.

"Chase you nearly killed Griffin a few hours ago." Ashley answered from her father's left side. When they had been on the North Tower her dad had told her what happened in the warehouse. She too had heard Griffins name being mentioned.

"I what?" Chase asked for clarification. She had no doubt that she would try to kill if threatened, but Griffin was dead, though as one of the Five death was not always certain.

"Don't you remember?" John asked reaching out his hand to run the back of his fingers down her cheek. Unlike Ashley, John knew that he could reach out and touch Chase's cheek without her recoiling from his touch.

"No, not really," She answered and leaned her cheek into his touch out of habit. "But it would be better if I went and searched for him if he has invaded our home." Chase added quickly.

"All right." John with drew his hand and then added to Henry, "I would like it if you would watch out for her Mr. Foss."

"Don't worry about that. She won't be out of my sight." Henry replied and headed up the stairs with Chase.

"What do we do?" Ashley asked. She paced in small tight circles letting her anxiety take over just for the interim.

"We stay here in case he decides to make a run for us." John had a feeling that Nigel would come for him first. At least Ashley would be where he could keep his eyes on her and she wouldn't hesitate to throw herself in the thick of things. But how would they fight something they couldn't see? Another appearance from the Ripper would seem to be what he would need. John just hoped he didn't have to let that part of himself free.

**HELEN'S OFFICE:**

Nigel had left the werewolf to cry at Helen's side. He had come here for a reason and that had been to exact vengeance on Nikola, John, and James. But mostly he wanted Helen to hurt, wanted her to suffer for what she had done to him in London . At the time he had been ignorant, driven by knowledge, and thirst for the unexplored. But it had cursed him in the process. It was his gift more than anything that drove him to this course of action. He hated what he was, hated being invisible. When he had been with the Five back in the old days the others had never seen him even when he had been there. It enraged him, but he was too much the gentleman to complain, especially since it was Helen's idea to inject the blood. Back then he would have gone to the ends of the Earth for Helen to even notice him. But she had John filling her heart and eventually Nigel let it go. When he did he met his wife, had a daughter, and even had a granddaughter that he had never known.

Walking into Helen's office Nigel took a moment to look around. One thing stuck out at him as he drew closer to her desk. On the cherry wood desk there sat a picture of Helen, John, Ashley, and Chase together in an island village. They looked happy and they looked like a family. His own wife was dead and his daughter was cold in the ground. Only his granddaughter survived him. His family was torn asunder. Steeling himself, Nigel worked at Helen's computer to initiate a lockdown on a timer. It would be enough time for him to get back down to the main lab to take care of John while the others stayed put.

**MAIN ENTRANCE:**

Dawn leaned against the wall and waited, giving off an air of nonchalance. The Wookie was staring at him with veiled mistrust, well maybe it wasn't veiled. Dawn could feel the knives in his gut as the Sasquatch continued to stare at him. All he wanted to do was get to Chase and get her away from the impending fight. It would be hard to get her away, she was fighter, and every bit the tiger abnormal he was. The trick would be tanqing her and getting her out. But he would figure that out later. First he had to see her. Suddenly his ears perked up at the sound of her voice; she was laughing. Dawn pushed away from the wall and without thought he ran for the stairs and for the sound of Chase.

Dawn hit the second floor landing and saw Chase walking close to another man. The beast inside of him was instantly enraged and it would have vengeance. The werewolf would die and he would take his woman back.


	11. Chapter 11

Summary: The Druitt/Magnus family is divided, scattered through the world. But another force will rise to bring the family back together and test the resolve of the network.

Disclaimer: I own nothing of sanctuary or the characters... except for Chase.

Rating: M

**RISING TIDES:**

**DOWN IN THE LAB:**

John had a feeling of being watched while he stood facing Ashley. For the both of them the blue liquid had stopped flowing from their eyes as a modicum of calm washed over them. He wasn't sure what was happening until alarms blared and thick metal doors began to cover all the cells on the main lab floor. Without words John and Ashley turned to survey the deserted lab, but they saw nothing and the only sound was the alarms blurring.

"What's going on?" John shouted over the din of noise.

"It's a lock down!" Ashley shouted in return as she drew her gun. 'Griffin' she thought. Slowly she lowered her gun and holstered it. Guns would do no good on someone who was invisible.

John risked a glance to Ashley. If it was Griffin who triggered the lock down then that meant they were cut off from everyone else. There wasn't even a way to teleport out. John could feel the EM shield in place. It sizzled along his skin in a silent deadly warning of what would happen should he try. Before he had a chance to tell her, Ashley moved so her back was to his. Smiling to himself John shook his head. His daughter knew what to do in a fight. Watching everything John and Ashley waited for the attack to come. It was all they could do.

**INFIRMARY****:**

James was mixing up the medication Helen had concocted so long ago to control the hunger Nikola had to battle every single day of his life. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Tesla rocking back and forth, his arms wrapped securely around his chest, and a light sheen of sweet beading on his brow. James had better hurry before Nikola lost all semblance of control and attacked either him or Helen lying in the bed just feet away from them. Finishing the serum James put it in the centrifuge to mix it for a few seconds. Turning away from the sight of Nikola, James went to Helen and made sure she was still asleep.

Helen felt groggy, her head full of fog. The last thing she could recall with certainty was being back in her office with John and then nothing, just blackness. But now she felt as if she was somewhere different all together and someone was watching her. With all the strength she could muster Helen tried to open her eyes, to focus on the conscious world, but she was too tired. She just wanted to go back to sleep. That wasn't Helen, she wasn't to simply go back to sleep and wait for the world to pass her by. Forcing herself Helen opened her eyes and saw the one person she thought she would never see again; James. More and more of her strength returned to her. She was no able to lift one of her arms, now able to cup his cheek with her hand and whisper, "James."

"Welcome back to the waking world Helen." Leaning down James gently pulled Helen into a hug.

"What happened to me?" She asked moving out from James arms and trying to sit up. Her body still felt lethargic and full of whatever had made her sleep. But she would not fall back into the black abyss of a drug induced sleep.

"We think Griffin drugged you to temporarily take you off the field of players." James explained. There was so much more for him to say but before he could even begin to tell her all that has happened alarms blared signaling a lockdown. They hadn't even had time to get to the door before the security measured locked them in the room. Just beyond the door James could hear the heavy metal doors thud into place.

"A lock down," Helen breathed out. She moved to the edge of the bed and for the first time she set her eyes upon Nikola. He had risen from the chair he had been occupying with a hungry predatory gleam in his eyes and he was staring at Helen. She froze out of fear of her vampiric friend. "James… James," Helen called to him twice to get his attention.

James heard his name and turned to Nikola. No longer was Tesla the man before them, but the dark side of his personality; the vampiric part of his psyche. Slowly, making no threatening moves, James moved to Helen's side and watched with wary eyes as Nikola advanced on them. "Nikola, you have to stop and think." James held up his hands.

**SECOND FLOOR HALLWAY:**

At the last second Chase managed o get out of the way of Henry and Dawn rolling around on the ground fighting and growling at each other. Chase shook her head and then joined in the fray of male arms. She latched onto Dawn's hair and wrapped her right arm around his neck to pull him back and off of Henry. In defiance Dawn planted his elbow in her gut, but Chase refused to let go. Using her momentum she flung them back and rolled so she was standing between him and Henry. "Stop this Dawn!" chase shouted and risked a glance at Henry. His eyes had gone the eerie green of his werewolf persona. Any more fighting and Henry wouldn't be able to control the shift and then he would end up killing Dawn. "I don't want to fight you, but I will if you leave no other choice." She hissed.

"You would fight a tiger for a pathetic werewolf?" Dawn growled. He couldn't understand her. The wolf was a mongrel, nothing worthy of her and yet she defended him.

"Henry is not pathetic!" Chase shouted, trying to get a handle on her anger. If Dawn left her no choice she would kill him. She would hate herself for it later, but if it meant protecting Henry then she would willingly shed blood for that.

"Fine, then you can die with him." Growling Dawn charged again and tackled Chase to the floor. He had a second to process the difference in her before her fist was planted firmly in his jaw. He felt two of his back teeth break. He spit them out on the floor while eyeing Chase.

Dawn rolled off Chase. She fought to keep her claws from extending. Chase was still hoping to at least get him to leave without it being in a pine box. Before Dawn could come at her again alarms sounded all around them and the heavy metal door boxed them in. Someone had triggered a lock down and that meant she was cut off from her father, from her sister, and from the others. This day was not getting any better. Putting the lock down out of her mind she crouched and made herself combat ready.

Henry stayed back out of the way. He was no fighter even though his blood screamed to defend Chase and to kill Dawn. The werewolf inside howled for freedom. But he would not give into his anger. Henry would not allow the wolf free to destroy another life.

"You see Chase, he is no fighter. He could never protect you!" Dawn hissed and charged. He tackled her to the floor and sank his teeth into her shoulder. Her blood flooded her mouth and her roar of rage rang in his ears. Dawn felt flaws sink into his arms and shred the skin, but still he would not let go.

Chase roared out in pain and let her animal take over, let the Ripper free. She sank her claws into his arms and tore the flesh of his arms. When that didn't work Chase brought her knee up into his side and delivered a sharp blow. Dawn should be stronger than her, but with the Vampire blood pouring through her, she was an equal match. On thing was left Chase sank her own fangs into his shoulder and bit down hard.

**MAIN LAB:**

Ashley waited at her father's back for an attack to come. With Griffin being able to be invisible he could strike from very close and they wouldn't see it coming. What they needed was Chase, she at least could see body heat and Ashley was sure Griffin was giving that off. But with the lock down they were crippled and on their own.

John sensed his daughter's unease. It was the same with him. But more than that john was hurt at Nigel's betrayal. He didn't have time to dwell in the past, dwell over the pain. John had to keep his focus and listen for anything out of place that would allude to Nigel's attack. Griffin had never been much of a fighter, but being invisible he wouldn't have to be. More than hearing John felt the attack that was coming at Ashley. Quickly switching their places John felt cold metal slice into his left shoulder. Pushing the pain away John turned and looked along the upper level of the lab. Griffin was hiding up there; he knew it.

Ashley turned to her father and saw a knife lodged in his shoulder. She reached up to pull it out, but was halted when another came out of no where. Ducking Ashley focused her other senses in trying to find Griffin. She let the hunter in her take over. Using the other senses she possessed Ashley waited for just the right moment. Taking out her gun Ashley closed her eyes and fired. There was a loud thud as Griffin fell on the upper level. She knew he was dead, the hunter in her told her it was the only out come. Lowering her gun Ashley opened her eyes and saw the evidence for herself. There was one arm dangling over the ledge and it wasn't moving.

**INFIRMARY:**

Helen and James stayed perfectly still while Nikola boxed them into a corner. His features were no longer human, but pure Vampire. His eyes had gone black, his nails elongated, and his fangs were bared. Helen's heart hammered in her chest. The last time she had been confronted with Nikola's alter ego she had been just as scared. Two seconds ago the centrifuge had stopped and while Nikola was focused on them she used her telekinesis to prepare the vial in a needle and give it to him. As far as she had come with her mental powers she still was weak in that area. Levitation was all she could manage with certainty, which meant she would have to get close, biting range close, to give Nikola his medication. Reaching to her left she took James's hand and squeezed. She would need all the courage she could get because right now she wanted to go back to sleep. But Nikola was a threat and he was a hungry vampire staring at two humans who were really close.

She risked a glance to the counter and saw that the needle was ready. Helen had to distract the hungry Vampire so she could get it into her hand. Taking a deep breath Helen let go of James's hand and took a tentative step towards Nikola. He was more monster than man at this moment and her heart hurt to see him in such a state. "Nikola its Helen," Holding out her hand she waited to see what he would do Nikola looked from her hand to her eyes as Helen waited for what was to happen. Again she risked a glance to the syringe. The only way for her to get the needle into him was if she was very close to him. Helen didn't want to be that close to Nikola's fangs but it was the only way. Using her other hand she signaled to James behind her back to hold his ground no matter what happened.

Taking another step closer Helen gasped as Nikola yanked her into his arms and exposed her neck. She felt his hot breath at her pulse and for just a split second she let her fear run free through her body. Helen ground her teeth together and once again gained control of her emotions. For the second it took Helen to get the syringe Nikola sank his fangs into her throat. She screamed out in pain even as she jabbed the needle home in his leg and pushed the serum into his body.

**SECOND FLOOR HALLWAY:**

Chase tasted Dawn's blood and nearly choked. Using what strength she had, she kicked him off of her and rolled onto her side to regain some of her senses. He was not that far from her and already gaining his feet. Chase had to get up, she had to fight, and she had to kill him. Managing to get to her knees Chase didn't get that far when she felt something crash against the back of her skull. Chase saw stars and then fell into blackness.

Henry was standing off to one side as he saw Dawn bash Chase in the back of the head with one of the decorative vases. The wolf in him howled in rage. Before Henry knew what he was doing the werewolf broke free of its mental chains. The shift was seamless and without pain until all he could feel was anger and rage. Henry stood before Dawn snarling and growling. How dare the cat harm his woman? Crouching down Henry used all of his strength to lunge at Dawn and take him to the ground. The tiger could barely fight him off. Henry barely registered the claw marks that were being raked over his abdomen. One quick hard punch Henry had his hand through Dawn's chest crushing his heart.

Chase opened her eyes and shook the residual haziness from her head. It hurt to move but she had a fight to finish. Rolling over she came face to face with the lifeless eyes of Dawn. He had a gaping hole in his chest. But who did this? Regaining her feet she saw Henry huddled against the wall. He was shaking as he looked at the blood coating his left hand from forearm to palm. Going to him Chase pulled him into her arms and told him things would be alright now; that everything would work out. "You were only defending yourself." Chase whispered and kissed his temple. Henry said nothing as he wrapped his arms around her waist and continued to shake.

**MAIN LAB:**

John leaned against one of the lab tables as he steeled himself to pull the dagger from his shoulder. It would hurt and he wasn't sure if he had enough strength left not to keep from yelling in pain. Sucking in a sharp breath John yanked the dagger free and only uttered a sharp gasp as evidence of his pain. After a moment John let out a ragged breath and then looked at Ashley. In her eyes he saw concern for him as blood flowed freely from his wound. "I'll be fine." John whispered and offered her a small smile. His wound was starting to heal already and in a weeks time it would be nothing more than a pink scar. It was one advantage of having ancient vampire blood in his veins. Even after a century of life the blood was still potent and healing.

"Are you sure?" Ashley asked going to her father's side and peering at the wound. It was bleeding freely but the flow was slowing. All that indicated that it was clotting off and would soon stop.

John reached out and cupped Ashley's cheek, "Yes, I'll recover." He dropped his hand and then asked, "What about the lock down? Can you lift it?"

Ashley nodded and went to one of the computers. After a few minutes of muttering curses and threatening the computer with harm the metal doors lifted and the EM shield lowered. Knowing her werewolf friend Henry would have had the lock lifted in seconds and not minutes. she was a fighter, not a tech person. Leaving her father to lean on the table Ashley went up to the upper level where she found Griffin lying in a pool of his own blood. she felt nothing looking at him now. He was just one more enemy to fall under the heel of their boots; one more enemy to die. Ashley felt numb. "It's a shame you had to die." She whispered crouching down to close his eyelids. The dead, empty lifeless eyes were now covered and soon Nigel Griffin would be laid to rest like he had pretended to be for nearly half a century.

**SECOND FLOOR HALLWAY:**

Henry pulled away from Chase to stand. He hadn't meant to get blood on her but he knew she wouldn't mind. It's not like it was the first time Chase had had blood on her and Henry knew it wouldn't be the last. Going over to the body of Dawn Henry gazed down at the man and oddly enough he felt nothing. Henry was numb to the corpse at his feet. Dawn incurred the wrath of Chase, but it was Henry who had ended his life and he knew he should feel sick over losing control but he couldn't muster the self disgust. Dawn had threatened Chase's life and Henry had taken the measures to protect her. "Is this what it feels like after…?"

"If you feel numb, then yes." Chase said from his side. She knew what it was like to lose ones blood innocence. For many many nights to come Henry would have nightmares about what he did, about what the werewolf did, and all Chase could do was be there for him. It was partly her fault that he had to kill dawn. "Henry, I would have…"

"No, this was bound to happen sooner or later. I'm just glad that I didn't end your life as well." Henry spoke and noted that his voice sounded hollow and detached. Right now he was in shock, but tomorrow the real guilt would begin. He had taken a life. It may have been in self defense but it was still murder.

"Part vampire remember, not going to be doing any dying anytime soon." Chase spoke softly. She took Henry's hand in hers and had just leaned her head on his shoulder when the metal doors lifted. The lock down was over and it was time to get out of this hallway. She would have to get the Big Guy up here later to help her take Dawn's body to the morgue. Right now Henry needed a shower and sleep.

**INFIRMARY:**

Helen staggered away from Nikola as he fell to the ground. James caught her and held her close as the vampire convulsed and fought to return to the annoying human he was before losing control. She knew he would be in a lot of pain and would pass out from. For his sake Helen hoped Nikola passed out soon. Helen lifted a hand to the side of her neck and felt the traces of blood on her flesh. The minute John saw her like this he would be at Nikola's throat in an instant. Looking back to Nikola Helen saw he had finally succumbed and fell into sleep.

Sighing Helen said to James, "Help me get him to a gurney to sleep off the rest of his hunger."

James took his hands from Helen's waist and saw her sway slightly. He replaced them and then said, "You should sit. I'm sure I can get Nikola to the bed by myself." Moving back a few steps James guided Helen to the edge of the gurney she had occupied and had her sit down. Standing a blood loss were two things that did not mix well. Leaving her James moved to Nikola and helped the unconscious vampire off the floor. Nikola may look like a stick of a man but he weighed a fair share. But James wouldn't complain. It was either help Nikola or kill him. As much of a pain in the ass that Tesla was James wasn't ready to kill him, wasn't ready to let go of yet another person who knew the time they came from. Just as he had Nikola settled on the bed the lock down ended. Turning he saw two bright flashes of light and then there was John and Ashley standing in the infirmary. John had fresh blood on his shoulder and Ashley was hurrying to her mother's side.

John looked from Helen, to James, and then to an unconscious Nikola. Truly this was a day not meant to be relieved, ever. He saw blood on the corner of Nikola's mouth. Looking back to Helen, John finally saw the light blood trail down the side of her neck. Realizing what had happened he stalked to Nikola's bed intent on hurting Tesla severely when James stopped him. "It was not his fault." His friend whispered. But it didn't matter. His woman, his love, was injured and Tesla was the cause.

The only way to get John's attention to shift, James had to cause him pain. Digging his fingers into John's wound James managed to get him away from Nikola and into a chair so he could inspect the wound. "I take it Griffin did this to you?"

"Yes," John growled out through gritted teeth. Not all the pain was gone and James's probing of his wound was not doing him any kindness. All of his adrenaline was fading and now the pain was coursing through his shoulder and registering in his brain.

"It's a clean cut." James said rather in lieu of having anything else to say. Their entire lives had been turned upside down in recent weeks. Then there was the matter of ridding John, Ashley, and Chase of the bio-electrical entity that was in them. He had deduced as much before Nikola had taken him from the lab. Now that he knew what it was, James needed a way to expel the thing from then without pain.

"What about our other problem?" John asked.

"I haven't found a way around that yet. I need a few days to figure it out." James poured a little peroxide in the wound and let it bubble. John only hissed in pain as the peroxide cleaned out whatever germs had set in. James taped a temporary bandage in place and then offered John a black t-shirt that he had seen in one of the cupboards.

"Thanks," John muttered and went over to Helen. Without words passing between them Ashley moved and let him sit down where John pulled Helen into his arms and just held her. Even though James had told him that she would wake eventually John had had unfounded fears that he would never gaze into her eyes again. The thought actually made his heart stop a few times. But she was awake and she was in perfect condition, except for the bite mark that now marred her neck. John would definitely be speaking to Nikola about that.

"We'll leave you alone." Ashley muttered. She was happy her mother was awake and that he father was fine. But she had o find Chase and see what had become of her sister. Together with James, Ashley left the infirmary and went in search of Chase.

Lucky for her they didn't have to search that far because Chase was coming around the corner with blood on her cheeks, her waist, and the thighs of her jeans. "What happened?"

"Dawn's dead and this time for real." Chase drew in a ragged breathing battling her tears back at the loss of someone who had betrayed her. "He was working with Griffin . Henry and I fought him and now he's dead."

"Is Henry ok?" Ashley asked.

"He's fine. It was Henry in his werewolf form that killed Dawn." Chase sagged against the stone wall as the weight of what Henry had done for her finally sank in. He had killed to protect her. Normally it was Chase doing the killing; she was bred for it, trained to do it. For Henry to take a life seemed wrong somehow as the image of him bloody replayed in her mind.

"How did he kill Dawn?"

Ashley, Chase, and James turned to see Helen standing in the doorway supported by John. It was Chase who answered, "Dawn used a vase to knock me unconscious for a few seconds and when I came to Dawn was dead and Henry had blood on his hands."

"Where is he now?" Helen asked coming towards Chase. Her head swam and she fell back against John. The blood loss and residual effects of the sedative were warring in her mind to drag her back down into the black.

"He washed what blood he could off and now he's in my bed sleeping." Chase answered and finally breathed a sigh of relief as the latest crisis seemed to be over. But how long would it be before another enemy was barking at the gates, howling to destroy them?

**LATER THAT NIGHT:**

Helen, John, and James gathered in the morgue to once again look upon Nigel Griffin. He had been their trusted friend and colleague. Still that had not stopped him from trying to kill them. Helen laced her hand with John's and let a small amount of grief show. After all she had shed her tears for him long ago. John leaned close to her and whispered, "He brought this on himself."

"I know." Helen answered and rested her temple against his chin. When Nigel died Helen felt a void in her life as one of her dear friends left this world for the next. Now her memories were colored by betrayal; Nigel's betrayal.

"He was still one of us, no matter what had twisted his mind." James said, though at the moment he couldn't muster the sorrow his old friend deserved. He had been at the funeral the first time, said his good-byes and moved on with his life. Helen had done the same thing and so had john. It was one of the few times that he had actually seen Helen and John in the same space without trying to kill the other. Now didn't count. John had managed to harness the man he had been and chain the monster that lusted for blood. hopefully James would be able to rid him of his demon and give Helen back the man she loved.

**CHASE'S ROOM:**

Chase was stretched out on the railing of her balcony listening to the rise and fall of Henry's chest. He had been asleep since this afternoon and she was in no hurry to wake him. It was good that he get all the sleep he could before the nightmares started. Her Henry had lost his blood innocence and that made Chase fell wretched. It should have been her to deliver the death blow to Dawn, not Henry. Even though he was man Henry had this air of needing to be protected from what lurked in his blood. By rights Henry was a killer; he was a werewolf, and yet in the midst of all the death that seemed to knock at the doors of Sanctuary Henry had held on to his innocence for so long. Chase was amazed at that. Her father was the Ripper; some would say she was born guilty of having blood on her hands. She hadn't seen it that way until the Cabal had taken her, then she had had no choice but to kill to gain her freedom and to keep it.

"How's Henry?"

Chase craned her neck to see her sister, "He's still sleeping. I think he'll be out until tomorrow morning. Shifting takes a lot out of him." The minute he woke up the first thing Henry would do would go in search of food and then he would feel guilty about killing Dawn. Chase had felt the same after she came out of her shell shocked state.

Ashley moved to the railing and sat next to her sister's feet. It always amazed her that Chase could lie on the railing and be perfectly at ease while not worrying about falling. She had tried it once after Chase left and found she couldn't stay still enough. "He's going to have a real hard time coming to terms with this." Ashley commented. She had seen the damage Henry had done to Dawn; the big gaping hole in his chest.

"Yeah, don't I know it." Chase sighed and sat up. "But I'm here for him and I know what he's going through. We all do."

"If we're lucky he will be so busy working on the new security measures that he will forget all about it." Ashley suggested though she doubted that kind of luck would happen for her werewolf friend. The fates as of late had been particularly good at handing them situations that ended with people dying in order for them to survive. Her life was becoming tedious enough as it was.

Chase ignored what Ashley had just said. She knew that would not happen to Henry. He might have his work, but even then he would still think about it. "I thought you would be with Jax."

"He got a call from his sister. I got a message on my cell that said he would be back in a few days." Ashley answered and let her sister continue with the subject changes. But no other words fell from her lips as she turned to gaze out at the peaceful scene of the night while the city was bathed in lights. Chase had a feeling that life would be quiet for a little while, at least she hoped so.


	12. Chapter 12

Summary: The Druitt/Magnus family is divided, scattered through the world. But another force will rise to bring the family back together and test the resolve of the network.

Disclaimer: I own nothing of sanctuary or the characters... except for Chase.

Rating: M

**RISING TIDES:**

**TWO WEEKS LATER:**

**HELEN AND JOHN:**

Helen walked with John close to her side. Since he had seen the bite marks on her neck there wasn't a moment he was away from her side. She thought it was sweet to a point. And Helen enjoyed his closeness. The only time he left her side was when James and Nikola requested him in the lab. For two weeks they had been trying to figure out a way to rid John of the bio electrical creature that was deeply rooted inside him, just as it was rooted in their daughters. So far both men had not been successful in finding a way to help them. She thought that she had taken the news of John being controlled by an electrical monster pretty well. It certainly cast their past in a different light; it made him more of a victim than a villain. Helen was eager for James and Nikola to find a solution. She hadn't known how much she missed her John until she had seen him standing in her office with his hair grown out and his gentle gaze roving over her body.

Slipping her hand into his Helen led him back to her bedroom; their bedroom. They walked through the door and she smiled when she heard John shut the door just before he slipped his arms around her waist. The weight of him at her back was delicious and welcome and something she would never want to get rid of. His arms moved away from only to have his hands slide slowly over her hips, up her stomach, and over her breasts while his lips danced over her neck. Helen bit back a moan at the feel of John's hands gently massaging her breasts through the thin fabric of her shirt. She needed him and she needed him to take her now. Turning in his arms Helen backed him up against the door and turned the lock sealing them inside her bedroom. She smiled a wry, seductive smile before angling her head to take his lips. Helen wanted the taste of him to invade her senses, to take her over, to corrupt her mind.

John moaned into Helen's mouth as he thrust his right leg between hers, jerking up and sending a jolt of pleasure through her as he rolled them so she was pressed to the door. Splayed his hands on the wood on either side of her hips and used the strength in his knee to lift her body so he could change the angle of the kiss. John plunged his tongue into her mouth, controlling the mating of their mouths. It was all he could do not to take her there against the door, but for this time he would be content to explore her mother. John intended to take her in bed, to make her scream her pleasure wit his name falling from her lips.

Helen ground herself down over his knee and felt the beginnings of heat course through her spreading the fire all the way to her mind. She needed him, but John was set to tease her for the moment. Helen would have to change his mind, have to unleash the sensual animal that was lurking beneath the surface of her Victorian lover. Helen slid her hands up his chest and threaded her fingers through his silky mane of dark hair. This was the John she had first known and loved so passionately. But she didn't know if she would be able to savor him as he wished to savor her this time. Helen wanted him hard and buried inside of her making her delirious with pleasure.

John moved his hands from the door and replaced them under Helen's thighs. He picked her up with ease and brought more of her in contact with his hard body; a body that was yearning for her skin against his and her heavy breathing to be mingled with his. John urged her to wrap her legs around him as he walked with her in his arms to the bed. He sat on the edge without ever breaking the kiss. It allowed him free reign to take her clothes off. Starting with her shirt John took his time with each button; slowly drawing it open and caressing the exposed flesh as he went up. His fingers went all the way up, sliding the shirt apart enough that his hands could cup her breast and toy with her rapidly hardening nipples. John hardened even more thinking about tasting her. Without prompting Helen dropped her arms and allowed him to remove her shirt. All too quickly her bra followed. Rather than take her lips again John leaned his head down and closed his mouth over her right breast, tonguing her nipple into a hardened peak. Her gasp of pleasure was a sweet melody john had gone too long without hearing.

Helen secured her hands in John's hair tighter when his mouth closed over her breast. She nearly made him stop and take her then, but this sweet pleasure was something she wanted more of and it was John giving it to her. Using him as and anchor Helen leaned back and let him feast. Too soon it all stopped and Helen found herself back on her bed with John rising above her. He ran his hand down her side and just before his fingers could remove her pants Helen locked her knees and rolled them so she was on top of him. She laced her hands with his and pushed them back into the bed on either side of his head. Smiling Helen took his mouth in a fiery kiss designed to intoxicate him. Her lips danced with his. There was nothing she enjoyed more than kissing John. He had lips that would make the devil envious. Helen took her left hand out of his and began to unfasten his shirt just as he had done to her. Slowly she moved her hand down his chest raking her nails over his flesh after each button was opened. In retaliation John arched his hips sharply driving his hard length against her center. Helen moaned in pleasure, taking her mouth from his. But that did not deter her plan. Pushing his shirt aside as John had done to her Helen placed a kiss to his sternum and then over to his left male nipple. She nipped and licked his flesh until she had John growling in pleasure.

John could hardly endure any more of her wicked ministrations. He took his free hand and slipped it beneath the waist band of her pants. His fingers shoved aside the wet cloth of her underwear so he could slip one long finger into her center and giver her as much pleasure as he could before his ecstasy took of his mind. As he slid his finger in and out John could feel her muscles contracting over his finger. He smiled and bit his lip when Helen nipped him a little too hard, but not hard enough for it to be true pain. Her mouth drew back as did his finger. John took his hand out of her pants and waited to see what would be her next move. When none came John took lead. Untangling his hand from hers John set about unbuckling her pants. With her eyes locked with his Helen followed his lead.

When John had slipped his hand down the front of her slacks she thought she would lose her mind at the sensual feel of his finger penetrating her. The in and out had her mind swimming and her resolve cracking. Pulling back from him Helen let John make the next move just as he waited for her to choose the next avenue of their continued rise to passion and release. His hands worked the closure of her slacks and she did the same to his pants. Helen's fingers gingerly lowered the zipper and ran her tongue over her teeth at the feeling of his hardness brushing her fingers.

"I've learned a new trick," John sat up and kissed Helen's pulse point before making a short jump to the center of her bed with the rest of their clothes falling off the edge. John arched his eye brow at her and gave her that smile that he used when he tried not to laugh. Instead Helen laughed and kissed him as she threaded her fingers through his hair again. She was the one woman in the world he would never want to leave. Helen was his heart and the very breath in his lungs. Shifting slightly John positioned him throbbing sex at her entrance and gently pushed inside of her.

Helen arched her back at the feeling of John sliding into her. Her body was on fire; her mind was losing all conscious thought. She was burning for John and he was helping to ease the fire in her blood. Drawing her knees up higher on his waist Helen was able to take him deeper into her body and there she held him for a few moments. Above her John started to pull out and an explosion of sensation flood Helen's body. She cried out in ecstasy as John slipped in and out. All Helen had managed to do was rotate her hips in counterpoint to his thrust. She barely had the conscious thought to keep it up. Her release was building and building until it was a tight ball of fire ready to explode and send shockwave after shockwave of incredible pleasure racing through her nerves and clouding her mind even more.

John fought hard not to give in to the clawing need. He wanted this to last; he wanted Helen to be fully satisfied. Concentrating on his movements John ground into her and arched his hips driving her up and into the mound of pillows that were behind her. She gasped and tightened her hold on his hair. John kissed her hard and repeated his previous movements. One thing was for sure if Helen didn't stop her counter rotations he was going to lose his mind. Another thrust and John felt it start. His pleasure was mounting in response to Helen's. She was close, so close, to spilling over the edge and he would be right there with her. John thrust deeply inside her one final time just in time to feel the detonation of pleasure soak his nerves and make stars explode behind his eyes. Helen was right there with him. Her inner muscles clamped down on him like a fist and milked him for all he was worth while he shuddered in her arms. He had enough strength to fall to the side and gather Helen close.

Helen was spent and sated, and all those other words of satisfaction she could think of with her pleasure addled brain. John fell to her side and gathered her close locking his arms around her back and tangling his legs with hers. Using what was left of her mental strength Helen brought the blanket over them to encase the warmth they were radiating around them. All too quickly she was lulled into sleep with John next to her. This was her idea of eternity; John's strong arms holding her.

**THE MAIN LAB:**

**NIKOLA**** AND JAMES**

James and Nikola had been working non stop for two weeks on a way to rid john, Ashley, and chase of the electrical creature that resided inside them. For now they seemed calm and sedate, but then again all three had stayed far away from each other while still staying in the bounds of the Sanctuary. James also noted that Nikola made no snide comments whenever John was in the room and for a moment he wondered what John had done to Tesla. But James had a hunch that he was punishing himself for feeding on Helen, for breaking his vow not to feed on humans. James still no fan of Nikola but he felt for the other man. He had been a victim of his own blood and the need for it.

"I don't see any other way around stopping their hearts and then using the D-fib paddles to bring them back." Nikola said rubbing his eyes in exhaustion.

"But how do we get that thing out of them?" James mused.

"In theory the creatures should follow the strongest current and leave the host body. But what we need is some way to catch the creature once we get it to eave their bodies. This would mean essentially killing them." Nikola responded. He had been hard at work with James for the past two weeks trying to free Druitt and his two daughters from the creature that they had learned inhabited his body. Right now Nikola was trying to make amends to Helen for feeding on her. He hadn't meant to hurt her, but he was so hungry that all he could see was the blood. What hurt him the most was that Helen would stand as close to John as she could and as far from Nikola as she could get. She trusted a known murderer rather than a vampire who swore off feeding on humans.

"We'll figure something out that doesn't involve killing them." James muttered and set about working again.

**ASHLEY AND JAX:**

For two weeks Jax had been jumping back and forth between seeing his sister and being in residence at the Sanctuary. Andie had found an apartment in Old city that was off the grid of anyone still looking for them. When Jax suggested that she come back to the Sanctuary Andie had flat out refused. So he came back alone. He had just come back from a lunch with his sister when he caught Ashley's scent leading to shooting range. Lately she had been spending most of her time there in an attempt to keep her anger levels down. Walking through the door he saw her eject and empty mag and insert another one. He had a second to plug his ears before she started to fire at the target. A minute later Ashley had spent her ammo and holstered her gun.

"Feel better?"

"Not really." Ashley replied and turned to Jax. Instantly she wanted him. Sometime between when he left and when he came down her Jax had lost his shirt or he had taken it off just to tease her. His skin was tanned and perfect for the beach and highlighted the well toned muscles of his chest, abs, and arms. Jax should be a Greek god of some sort. He looked too good for his own benefit. Taking his hand she used her powers to teleport them to her room.

"Are you sure about this?" Jax whispered close to Ashley's lips. He hated to teleport but it was handy when you wanted to get somewhere fast.

"Clothes," Ashley motioned to his pants and boots, "Take them off." She ordered as she set about the task of removing her belt, jacket, boots and then her shirt and pants.

Jax toed off his boots and shucked his pants all the while watching Ashley methodically get out of her clothes. She stood before him in a black bra and a pair of black underwear. He hardened even more for her and the lion part of him roared out to have her, to make her his. Going to her Jax pulled her roughly into his arms and claimed her mouth before she had a chance to gasp. He picked her up and walked with her to the large glass window he had watched her watching the city out of. Bracing her against the glass Jax slid his hand down between their bodies and moved aside the wet scrap of her underwear. Simultaneously Jax kissed her and drove his hard aching organ deep inside of her.

Ashley shouted when she felt Jax enter her. She was braced against the window and his hard body. There was no way that she could gain control. Jax had all the power. For now she was content to let him be in the lead. Ashley wrapped her arms around his neck and held on through the powerful thrusts that sent jolts of electric pleasure through her. All she could register was the exotic scrape of Jax's flesh against her own as he slide in and out of her. Arching her back Ashley rested her head back against the glass window and let the feeling of her orgasm flow up form her center an d spiral out through out her entire body. The last thing that her hazy brain processed was the feel of Jax's teeth sinking home in the crook of her neck.

Jax hadn't meant to bite Ashley, but then that was the animal side of his DNA. It demanded that he mark her as his own, claim her as his woman. He knew now that he never wanted to be apart from her. Jax wanted to spend the rest of his days with Ashley. Jax slid to the floor with Ashley still in his arms, with his organ still lodged inside of her. This was his heaven and his safe haven.

**HENRY AND CHASE:**

Henry stood on Chase's balcony looking out at the night and the city. For the last two weeks he had been trying to reconcile the fact that he had killed another human being. But the part of him that was a wolf howled in outrage that that person had tried to kill his woman. The logical part of his brain knew Chase would have been fine, but he just reacted going with his animal instincts. Chase had tried talking to him about it. She had tried to tell him that it had to be done or Dawn would have done worse to them. Henry tuned her out at that point. All he could focus on was the fact that he had killed and that he hadn't felt guilty about it. And that was the part of his abnormal nature that he had never wanted to get loose.

"Henry?" Chase had been watching him from the open balcony doors. She knew his train of thought. He was replaying the incident from two weeks ago over in his mind. Henry was reliving frame by frame the way he killed Dawn in order to save her life. Chase would never forgive herself for not being fast enough or strong enough to keep Henry from using the side of him he hated so much. Even though he never said it, he hated being a werewolf because he spent so much of his time as a human.

"Yeah?" Henry turned to her and smiled. It as all he could do. Walking to her Henry gathered her close and just held Chase hard against him. She was what he needed, what he would always need in his life. She was the air in his lungs and the beat of his heart.

Chase felt the strong beat of his heart against her cheek and she felt tears well up in her eyes. At the end of the day the death of one was acceptable to save the lives of many. "I love you." Chase whispered. She had wanted to say those words to him for so long and yet she had never had the courage until this moment to say them, to truly mean them. "I don't know if I ever said it before. But I'm saying it now in case…." Chase let her sentence drop. She didn't want him to think of her a crazy. She didn't want what happened to her mother to happen to Henry if she ever became the Ripper.

"You're not going to go crazy. Tesla and Watson will find a way to save you and then…" Henry didn't know what to add to that. He just wanted Watson and Tesla to figure out a way to save Chase, and Ashley, and even Druitt.

**MAIN LAB:**

Nikola had just put the finishing touches on the containment cell that would house the energy creature after they extracted it from John, Ashley, and Chase. He also attached the leads for three different sets of D-Fib paddles. For this to work they would have to have their hearts stopped and then started up again via the defibrillator. At this moment James was working on modifying one of the stunners Helen favored when she was capturing abnormals so that it would have a wide burst to encompass three people. Now that his work was done all they would need would be the three guinea pigs to test this on.

"That's good work Nikola." James said coming up beside the vampire. He just hoped this worked for John's sake and for the sake of his girls. Too long had John been a slave to his madness, a madness that he creature had induced. "I'll go and get Ashley and Chase while you find Helen and John."

"Great, I get to be traumatized." Nikola groused as he walked out of the lab to go and get the other two members of the Five, though maybe they should call themselves the Four now. Nikola shook his head and laughed at how ridiculous that sounded.

**HELEN'S BEDROOM:**

John watched Helen as she lightly dozed at his side. He slid down her side so he could place light kisses over her flat abdomen. Just for a minute he could let himself imagine her with child, with his child, and he smiled. John had no doubt in his mind that Helen would have looked radiant as she carried Ashley and Chase to term. Imagining her like this also broke his heart and made his realize how much he missed out on. If he had never lost his sanity, never allowed Caesar to corrupt him, and if had never been taken over by that strange energy beast, then he might have had the life he and Helen had lain awake nights talking about. If none of that had happened then he would have been by her side as she brought both of their daughters into the world. John placed another small kiss to her stomach and then rested his cheek to the spot her had kissed.

"What are you doing?" Helen mumbled. She didn't want to wake up, not yet.

"Picturing you pregnant with our daughters," John answered.

"I wasn't the most pleasant person to be around when I carried Ashley and Chase. I was all moody and mean; just a general terror to be around." Helen chuckled and twirled her fingers through the locks of his hair.

"Would you ever consider having another child?" John asked and stayed down by her side. He wasn't sure if he wanted to see the look on her face or not.

"I never thought about it, not until you breezed back into my life offering to help find Ashley. Even though I didn't want to think about it, my mind did as it pleased, and it conjured images of us together again with yet another child on the way." Helen sat up and it caused John to mirror her. Before he had a chance to speak she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pulled his body against hers. Up until John had showed up for the fight with the Cabal, Helen had never thought about ever having another child. But then again John wasn't just any other man. He was the love of her life; the reason se had two beautiful daughters to call her own. "After James and Nikola take that thing from you, we'll talk about this again." Helen kissed the side of his head.

John hadn't realized what he had asked until she answered him. He buried his face in the side of her neck and tried to still the pounding of his heart. But she did think about it. That made him happy beyond all reason. She actually thought about having more children. Pulling back John said, "We should get dressed and go find James and Nikola."

"Are you sure?" Helen asked but she knew the answer.

"I've lived with this rage for two life times and now that I know what it is I am eager to have it out of me and have it out of chase and Ashley before it turns them into murders. As much as I would love, and I mean love, to spend all day in bed with you, this must come first." John answered and felt he could kick himself, but this rage was not him and it could be taken out of him. He wanted to do that and then come back here to Helen's bed.

"Then come shower with me," Helen laughed climbing out of bed with the blanket wrapped around her. She had made it to the open bathroom door just as she heard John teleport from the bed to the bathroom. His arms came around her and his lips descended on hers. Helen moaned into his mouth.

John was just about to pull the blanket from Helen's body when a knock sounded at the door. He froze and waited to see if who ever it was would knock again or just go away. His hands had started to move when Nikola's voice sounded through the door, "If you're doing anything indecent, stop, and get down to the lab."

"You can't kill Nikola." Helen tried to keep a straight face but it was hard. John turned suspicious eyes on her and then she laughed.

"Oh I know he's hard to kill, but I'm sure there are ways." John growled and repeated the words he had used in Bhalasamm. He just smiled at her and laughed with her. But however rude Tesla was, the vampire was still right. They needed to be in the lab. John sobered and said, "Go shower and then we'll head to the lab."

"I thought you were going to shower with me?" Helen asked.

"If we shower together we would risk another visit from Tesla and next time he might actually open the door." John kissed her and then walked back into the bedroom. He heard the water start and again he felt he could kick himself for not being with her. But time was against him and his daughters. He could feel the anger building and building. Soon he would have to find a relief and that relief would be murder. The shedding of blood always made the creature feel better. John went through all of his clothes and settled on clothes that didn't belong to him. 'Jeremy.' He thought and pulled out the clothes.

John pulled on buttery soft leather pants that laced closed on both sides of the waist. Next he slipped a white v-neck t-shirt. As he looked at himself in the mirror John pulled out the hair tie and let his cascade of brunette locks fell around his face. There was no trace of the man he had been. He tilted his head to the side and smiled.

"You look so deadly."

Turning John spied Helen all wet, wrapped in a towel. She looked amazing and a dream to his eyes. "Thank you, but the clothes are not mine."

"Still, you look amazing." Helen came to him and felt the leather over his thigh. It was soft and inviting. Then she moved away and to her closet so she too could get dressed.

**MAIN LAB:**

Helen and John descended the stairs to find Ashley standing by Chase, Henry and Jax talking quietly, while Nikola and James stood off in the center of the lab. John reached over to Helen and took her hand before leaving her side and going to join their daughters. Helen joined with Nikola and James. "So, tell me, will this work?"

"Helen…"

"Of course it will. Genius, remember?"

"Nikola I want you tell me if this will work." Helen demanded. John was about to willingly die to rid himself of the creature. Her daughters were about to die. She was a little more than on edge.

"It… should." Nikola took a step back and slightly behind Watson. He knew that look he was getting from Helen and it wasn't a good look. If something happened to John then she would make sure that he paid for it.

"Helen, we have to do this." James put a hand on her shoulder and lightly squeezed.

"All right." Helen looked to Nikola and said, "This is your show Nikola. Let's get on with it."

John watched Helen talking quietly with James and Nikola. He could hardly catch the words she was saying but he knew that she was trying to get Nikola to tell her what would happen to them.

"Dad?"

"Hmm," John turned to Chase and bit back a smile at how similarly he was dressed to his daughters. Ashley wore a blue tank top with brown leather pants and Chase wore black leather straps that were criss crossed in the center of the pants and a purple tank top.

"You look like a biker." Chase pointed out motioning to his biker boots, leather pants, and his white t-shirt. And then she looked at herself, "We all do."

"I guess this family has a thing for leather." Ashley muttered and the three of them laughed.

"Are we ready to do this?" Nikola clapped his hands and came closer to the three standing over near the marked off part of the lab.

"What's a little death to a family of immortals?" Chase shrugged and looked at the stunner that Henry and Jax now held. A shiver of fear coursed through her and against her wishes her breathing increased. Death still scared her, even though she would revive. There was always a chance that she wouldn't come back.

"Now, we want the three of you to stay right where you are. The first thing we are going to do is stop your hearts and then we are going to use these," Nikola indicated the containment chamber and the paddles, "To revive you."

"I'll revive John." Helen nodded.

"I'll take Chase." James took his place by Helen.

"And when the time comes I'll revive Ashley." Nikola responded. "Now would the wolf and the lion please do the honors?"

"See you on the other side, Ash." Chase whispered.

"I'll be there Ace." Ashley responded and felt and odd calm settle over her.

Chase and Ashley looked at each other taking hands and then smiling at their men waited for the ramped up stunner blast. Ashley had the second thought to take her fathers hand. They were all in this together and they were all about to die, temporarily, together. The three of them should be united. Just as she exhaled the blast hit them. It felt different than she thought. Her last thought was of hitting the ground.

_Chase opened her eyes and looked around. She was once again in the cathedral, where she had been the first time she had died. Sitting up Chase stretched and felt none of the pain she had felt when she had been hit with the ramped up stunner. But somehow this felt different that it had before. Everything around her had a fuzzy edge. "Ashley! Dad!" she called out and walked up the aisle. To her left she heard movement and saw Ashley standing up._

_Ashley saw Chase coming towards her. This was definitely the other side; Ashley wasn't too eager to remain. "Now we wait." She muttered as soon as Chase was at her side. Almost on impulse Ashley took Chase's hand and just held tight, held on to the life she had waiting for back in the world of the living. Besides her mother, her sister, and her father Ashley had Jax to live for. She wanted to be free of this thing inside of her once and for all._

_John opened his eyes and saw that he was in another part of the Sanctuary. His body had been left in the lad; he was dead. Getting to his feet he looked around to see Ashley and Chase coming over to him. This must have been the place that Chase and Ashley had been during those few torturous minutes that he had to suffer his daughter being dead. That was a feeling John never wanted to have again. John had just put his hands on Chase and Ashley's shoulder when he saw a strange dark shadow coalescing just feet form them. "Girls."_

_"That was not here last time," Ashley muttered releasing her sister's hand and stepping close to her father._

_"Any one got the feeling that's the real face of the Ripper?" Chase pondered as she took her place on her father's left side. One thing was for sure, Chase was more than ready to have that thing taken out of her. As the creature came closer a horrible pain ripped through her chest. She glanced at her father and sister and saw that they two were feeling the pain. Phase two of the plan was now in effect; they were being revived._

In a flurry of movement Helen, James, and Nikola moved as one taking the d-Fib paddles so they could revive the three people on the floor. As one they hit the little red button on the paddles and sent a charge of 300 volts through the three comatose bodies. The first round didn't work. "Charge to 360." Nikola shouted and hit the button again. All three of them backed off when the paddles glowed around the edges and sparks flew out of the edges of the containment field where an energy creature bounced off of the sides trying to get free.

"You did it Nikola," James breathed out and checked Chase's pulse. It was strong and steady.

"You had doubts?" Nikola asked stepping away from the others so he could go and check the containment.

"Good work Nikola," Helen smiled running her fingers down the side of John's face. He moved into her touch and then she knew he would be ok.

**ONE MONTH LATER:**

Chase stood looking out over the water from the garden terrace. She saw her world in a new light now that she was finally able to focus and be calm. Her mother hadn't gotten rid of the creature. Instead she kept it contained down in the cell that Nikola had cobbled together and that cell went into a holding room on the main lab floor while a special holding area was created. Chase shook her head at the argument her mother and father had about keeping the creature alive. In the end Helen Magnus had won and the creature was kept.

Arms wrapped around her causing Chase to grin broadly, "Hello Henry."

"Hello," Henry whispered nuzzling Chase's neck. For nearly a month he had been carrying around a question that he had badly wanted to ask her, but it was never the right time. For all intents and purposes things had gone back to normal. Ashley and Chase went out night after night bagging and tagging abnormals while Druitt split his time between the London Sanctuary and the head facility. Turning Chase in his embrace he locked his gaze with hers. "I have something to ask you, but I may fumble it a little so bear with me."

"Sounds serious," Chase playfully frowned.

"Last month when I saw you on the floor of the lab my heart stopped," Henry paused to clear his throat. "I realized then that I never wanted to be parted from you." He sank down to one knee and pulled out a velvet box. Opening it Henry continued, "Would you marry me so I never have to be without you?"

Chase felt her jaw drop and her heart speed up. She couldn't believe that Henry had asked her to marry him. Smiling she went with her gut answer, "Yes," They laughed when Henry picked her up and swung her around.

"Really?"

"Yes!" Chase laughed and hugged Henry. Finally her life was going in the right direction. She had the man she loved and she had a family that was finally working for the first time in almost two years. This was what she wanted more than anything.

**MAIN LAB:**

Helen was looking over the latest samples from the creature that had taken over John, Ashley, and Chase. The creature fed off the energy of the host. John had made the perfect home seeing as how he could turn his body from solid matter to energy and then back again, just as Ashley and Chase had the same abilities. This creature was a study in violence; it thrived to inflict pain and carnage. She didn't know how a creature could live on such a thing.

"Hey Magnus, you have a live video conference with all the heads of house." Will announced when he stepped up to her side. "They are pretty adamant that they speak to you."

Looking away Helen replied, "All right, I can leave this for later." She smiled at her protégé before pressing a button to lower the screens. One by one each head of house appeared and none of them looked pleased. "What's going on?" Helen asked.

"Helen," James began, "There have been reports of simultaneous breaks in of three different Sanctuaries." After James finished speaking, the heads of house for Mumbai, Moscow, and Japan started shouting, trying to be heard.

"Enough! Please, one at a time!" Helen shouted over the din.

"Magnus, security camera's managed to capture this image." Onrijiyu-san spoke.

His image flickered away to be replaced with a grainy photo of a red headed woman who looked sickly familiar. The woman looked to be Dana Whitcomb, but she was dead. Ashley had killed her the year before and a few moths ago her severed finger had been sent to Chase as a warning from Nigel Griffin. Looking to James, Helen said, "James, tell John he needs to come home right now." Just as the words were out of her mouth John appeared at her side taking her hand. She was worried and that made him worry.

"I know. I saw what James was seeing." John responded and kissed her temple.

"Go get Ashley and Chase." Helen said looking back to the monitors.

John teleported out and Helen continued to speak with the other heads of house. "Give me some time to formulate a plan and we will talk about this again." Each member signed off confidant that Magnus would have a plan. Once the last monitor went back Helen's hand flew to her abdomen and pressed slightly. This was not what she needed.

"Was that who I think it was?" Will asked. He didn't miss Magnus touching her hand to her lower abdomen. Guess all the sex she was having with Druitt was catching up with her.

"I believe so." Helen answered and for an instant she didn't want to believe it was so. If Dana Whitcomb was alive then that meant she had been working for nearly a year to rebuild the Cabal, or at least a portion of it.

"Mom?" Two voices melded together.

Helen turned to see Ashley and Chase standing with John. "We have a problem."

A/N: I hope you have enjoyed this latest adventure with Chase Magnus. Please keep a watch for RESURECTION an all new story.


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